


For the Laughs

by AnnieMar



Category: Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies), Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Comedy, Dramedy, F/M, Feels, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-13
Updated: 2015-07-30
Packaged: 2018-02-25 05:49:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 126,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2610728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnieMar/pseuds/AnnieMar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU set in Asgardia (elite college town). Darcy is a grad student and a blogger. Loki is a REAL writer (as opposed to a blogger, who is not a real writer). After moving back to the small town to take care of their ailing father, Loki and Thor meet women that knock them off their feet, and won't take their crap. Many MCU peeps guest-star. <i>I don't censor myself, so let's just say that the language will be colorful and the sex ... spirited.</i>  #tasertricks</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this several months back when Manic Taser Dream Girl was giving me headaches ... and now I've started to edit it, as the stuff I'm writing now is giving me headaches. It's totally AU, though everyone is _pretty_ much in-character ... and all the Avengers will eventually show up, and a few other MCU peeps. Starting out as "M" for the strong language, but knowing me ... it will bump up to an "E" in no time. Thanks for reading, you guys :-D

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

_August 28_

_Sorry I haven't gotten to update in awhile, as I've been busy with moving out to the middle of bum-fuck-nowhere. Good news is, I'll be with my friend Jane again … bad news? There doesn't seem like much to do here, which is probably why Asgardia is known to be such a party school. I've only been able to unpack a few things at my new place and take a quick look around. Hopefully, soon I can get into the kitchen and create a new post. Perhaps something new and inspiring will come my way …_

Darcy fiddled with her phone as she sat in a cozy coffee shop waiting for Jane. It had been awhile since she'd seen her best friend, as she'd taken up residence in the middle of nowhere, residing in a picturesque college town, nestled in the Appalachian foothills.

One was in the middle of her residency at the university hospital, while the other had recently been accepted into an MFA program. Jane the med student was a few years ahead of Darcy the major hopper in her education, who had quite dramatically chosen to stick with something very unlikely only three years into undergrad. She'd decided that she didn't want to major in political science after all … she instead wanted to paint.

After a few minor (okay, major) freak-outs from her parents over spending quite a bit of money for college, only to be a starving artist, she transferred from the midwestern university she'd fled New York for, and started attending a prestigious art school in Savannah. For her masters, she'd applied at a few places, hoping for Yale, but when she was accepted into Asgardia, she knew it would be a good decision somehow. She could be with Jane again, her best friend since childhood. They'd always been complete opposites, but somehow, they worked. They seemed to balance each other out. Jane was the epitome of practicality, making every good decision a person could make along the way … where as Darcy was anything but practical, and had colored her life with many stumbles and detours.

Jane was a little late, so Darcy sat and cupped her hands around her coffee mug, feeling the warmth. She'd missed autumn in a proper seasonal setting … she'd been living in the south for the past few years and had desperately missed the northern fall. She inhaled her latte spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg and dreamed of the coming football weather and being able to wander around in hoodies and cute knit hats.

"Darcy!"

"Jane." She looked up to see her friend rushing to the table.

"Sorry I'm late … got held up at the hospital."

"Hey, saving lives … I get it."

"I can't believe you're here! Now all we need is for Erik to visit, and we're complete," Jane said as she pulled out a chair and sat down.

"He'll be here soon … I talked to him yesterday, he said he needed a vacay from the vultures," Darcy said. If there was a person that qualified as the third member of their exclusive tight group, it was Erik.

Jane fished around in her bag for her compact and began to brush away imaginary flaws while looking into the little mirror. "I can't imagine him down here in the middle of nowhere, it's gonna be a trip," she said half-heartedly.

Darcy eyed her friend with suspicion… she had always been strikingly beautiful, with her rich chocolate-colored hair and natural sandy highlights … her big beautiful doe eyes. But it always seemed to go unnoticed by Jane. She was never ever vain, never cared too much about her appearance … instead deciding to concentrate on her studies more than anything else.

"What's going on? What's all this," Darcy asked as she waved at her friend's make-up bag that she'd just retrieved from her purse.

Jane quickly applied a natural and sensible shade of taupe lipstick, "okay, so I know you just got here and you're not even settled in yet, but I was wondering if you'd do me a huge favor?"

"What's … that?" Darcy said slowly, all of a sudden quite scared.

"Go on a double-date with me?"

Yep. All the reason in the world to be scared.

"Oh, God … not again. Dude. It never works out … so many horrifying memories. We don't need to make new ones, trust me."

Jane tried to look reassuring. "No. This is different … it's cool, I swear."

In the past, Darcy had typically been set-up with some science nerd who almost never saw the sun, let alone a real girl who wasn't also a science nerd. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Okay, give me details … I'm not agreeing, mind you … I'm just listening."

"Okay. So. I started seeing this guy."

"Uh-huh."

"He's actually kind of a big deal."

"Oh, really," Darcy said, sardonically.

"He's a football player. I met him at the hospital ... after his father had a heart attack. His father who happens to be president of the university, actually."

"Football ... like a coach or something?" She couldn't imagine Jane actually dating one of the Asgardia football players … the seniors would only be around 22 years old.

"No. Like, the NFL."

This got Darcy's attention. " _Who?_ "

Jane's mouth turned up into a grin. "Thor Odinson."

"WHAT?! The Vikings tight-end?"

"That's the one."

Darcy sat back and squinted her eyes. "And I'm supposed to go out with one of his football bros?" She shook her head. "I'm not so sure dude, I hear those guys can be kinda rapey."

"No. No, nothing like that. I thought maybe you'd hit it off with his brother … he's visiting with his dad too, and Thor doesn't want to be rude and leave him alone, since he just got here."

Darcy thought that sounded weird, like he needed to be babysat. "Is his brother twelve?"

"No, he's our age … or might be a few years older. He's actually a pretty well-known writer … Loki Odinson, heard of him?"

She tried to place him. "Nope." But the name "Loki" sounded familiar for some reason … as it wasn't your everyday dude-bro name. _Oh_ … right. "Wait … is he the one that wrote _A Soul Crushing Story of Utter Brilliance_?"

"Yep. That's him."

Well, that was an easy answer. "No, thank you."

"Darcy! Give it a chance."

She shook her head and crossed her arms. "That was the most obnoxious piece of shit I have ever read, scratch that, _tried_ to read. I couldn't make it past the first few chapters, it was so pretentious … and I'm from fucking Brooklyn. We grew up swimming in it."

"Well … maybe just leave the part, where you think his book is shitty, out."

"Hn.'

"Please?"

"Ugh."

Jane smiled and waved a finger in Darcy's face. "I'm wearing you down! _I know you_."

She put her face in her hands. "Fine," she mumbled into her fingers … "but just for the laughs."

"Yay! Always for the laughs," her friend beamed.

"So when is this double date supposed to go down exactly?"

Jane averted her eyes. "Ummm … in like, ten minutes?"

"WHAT? I'm so not dressed for something like that, what the fuck, Jane?"

"I'm sorry, it just kind of came up … and you look beautiful, as always."

Darcy looked down at her ensemble … she certainly didn't feel beautiful. The seasons would change soon, but that hadn't quite happened yet. She'd been walking around in the cargos she painted in and a snug Led Zeppelin t-shirt. She'd never really liked summer clothes … she hated shorts and tank tops, preferring fall and winter garments. Sweaters to hide in, and comfy jeans to lounge in. At least she'd thought to put on makeup, and her hair was cooperating today … it hadn't chosen to frizz up as it air-dried from her shower earlier, and had actually relaxed into its nice chestnut waves.

Not that she cared what Loki Odinson thought about her. Like, at all.

"Don't worry," Jane reassured. "Thor might be a professional football player, but he's really just a big teddy bear, like, really super sweet. You wouldn't even think he was famous. I'm sure his brother is just like him."

Darcy laughed. "You're kidding, right? Spoken like an only child. Siblings are not always exactly alike. They might have some of the same mannerisms, but I doubt the guy who wrote that novel is anything like a big teddy bear."

Jane sighed, obviously beginning to become annoyed. "Just have an open mind, _please_. I really like this guy," she said truthfully.

Darcy could see from the expression on her face that Jane did in fact, really like Thor … and it wasn't every day that her friend would just open herself to that kind of thing. Open herself to new theories on surgical procedures? Sure. Open herself to a guy? Not very often.

She sighed. "Alright. I'll be on my best behavior … but you owe me, Foster."

Jane smiled. "Of course."

"Like, first-born child stuff."

"Come on, he's not gonna be that bad. If he looks anything like Thor, he's gonna be hot as hell. You're gonna thank me."

" _Jane!_ " shouted a deep voice.

Speak of the devil. _Both_ of them.

The girls looked up to see two guys walking towards their table. It seemed as if the only genes they could have possibly shared would have been the ones involving height, as they were both quite tall, and both had shoulder-length hair that they'd pulled back ... but that's where the similarities ended. The very recognizable Thor, looked even bigger and blonder in person, and he wore a smile that practically lit up the room, along with an old and worn Asgardia t-shirt that seemed well-loved, and a pair of perfectly fitted jeans.

His brother, on the other hand, wore not a smile, but a blank expression, as if his body was standing in the middle of the coffee shop, but his mind was elsewhere. His hair was very dark, naturally black, and he was pale, though his skin had a certain glow to it. And his eyes … Darcy couldn't quite tell what color they were ... either an iridescent blue or green, which contrasted quite dramatically with the rest of him. As for his clothes … he wore garments that seemed out of place in the late-August heat. A light black jacket over a green V-neck, one of those kinds of t-shirts that probably cost way more than it should, and inky-black tight jeans. Not skinny jeans, but well-fit, as if they were tailored to his exact measurements.

Even though Thor was dressed casually, it was obvious that him and his brother carried themselves with a posh confidence. They were both well-off, and probably had been their entire lives.

Darcy looked down at her cargo pants and the paint splatters that marked them … she felt extremely out of place and wanted to ring Jane's neck.

"Loki! This is Jane Foster … and this must be Darcy Lewis, who I was telling you about. It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Thor said, speaking with a mild British accent. He pulled up a chair beside his girl, and reached his hand out to shake Darcy's with enthusiasm. He seemed really happy to be there, which proved to be quite infectious. She realized why Jane liked him so much.

"It's great to meet you Thor," Darcy said genuinely … she then looked over to his brother, who was pulling out his own chair, the one next to her … but he set it so that he was seated at an angle towards the table, but not exactly at the table.

She already had a bad opinion of him, and this only made it worse … it was obvious that he didn't want to be there. "Loki, it's nice to meet you," she said, smiling sweetly to him. She took it as a challenge to try and cheer him up a bit. Not that she cared, of course … it would just be kind of a game … for a laugh.

Loki barely looked up at her as he adjusted the sleeves of his jacket. "Likewise," he said blandly, in a sultry baritone.

Darcy mentally checked herself … no describing anything about Loki as "sultry"! No looking at those gorgeous eyes to try and figure out what color they were! Bad bad _bad_.

Thor seemed too excited about being near Jane to notice that his brother seemed to want to be anywhere but the coffee shop. He all of a sudden stood. "I'll go get us some drinks … Loki, the usual? Jane, what would you like?"

"Ah. Coffee. Large. Black."

"Very well, Darcy?"

"Thanks, but I've got my latte."

He turned to go to the counter and left the three of them alone … the girls instantly feeling awkward. When Jane felt awkward, she got twitchy … when Darcy felt awkward, she was prone to rambling.

"So. Loki …" Jane said, trying to spark a conversation with the brother of the guy she liked. She wanted to make a good impression. "You're a writer?"

He looked up from the phone he'd started to fiddle with. "Yes."

"Darcy's a writer too!" she said excitedly.

Darcy, with heat creeping up her neck, started to shake her head. "No, I'm not. I'm a grad student."

Jane looked confused. "But you are!" She looked back over to Loki. "She is."

Darcy tried to kick Jane under the table and missed. "I'm not. Really. I dabble. Nothing more."

"She's just being modest. She has a _very_ popular blog … Darcy is internet-famous!"

Darcy stared at her friend, sending her mind-bullets.

"Fascinating," Loki said, seemingly bored out of his mind.

Darcy fake-smiled. "Jane, future surgeon-extraordinaire, tell me … what is your opinion of chiropractors and acupuncturists?" she asked, between her teeth.

"Why?"

"Just. _Tell_. Me."

"Nothing but a bunch of snake-oil charmers, using the power of suggestion. Poseurs. Why?"

Darcy looked over at Loki and raised a brow … he now actually seemed interested with their exchange. "Because that's exactly what _real_ writers and novelists think of bloggers … isn't it?"

Loki gave the very slightest of grins, though it didn't reach his eyes, making him look slightly villainous. "Perhaps," he shrugged.

Darcy rolled her neck slightly, the no-nonsense New Yorker inside of her demanding to make an appearance. "Do you ever say more than one word at a time?"

Loki blinked at her for a few seconds. "Forgive me," he said, almost as if he'd come out of a trance. "What is the name of your … _blog_?" He said the last word like a republican would say the word "Obama".

She internally winced as she didn't want to be talking about herself like this, with an author who had spent as many weeks as he did on the New York Times best-sellers list.

Darcy took a large drink of her latte, wishing she could spike it with whiskey. "Um … it's a blog about recipes inspired by famous paintings … and a bit of personal commentary thrown in. Stories. Memories. That kind of thing. It's called 'Painting With Your Food'."

She looked up at him and found that he was staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face … this made her uncomfortable, so the rambling began. "Umm, it's like, a play off of the phrase 'playing with your food' … which is actually one of my favorite lines from _The Addams Family_ , when Morticia is like, ' _Wednesday, play with your food!_ ' … I always thought it would be funny to intentionally play with your food …"

Loki interrupted her musings, "Yes, yes … I quite understand, but doesn't 'Painting With Your Food' imply that you are literally painting with food? Isn't that a bit misleading?"

Darcy stared into her mug. "Yeah, I've thought of that … but I like the name. Plus, I've read that you only need to hook your readers with the title of your blog once, and then it doesn't matter. They'll return to your site if they like the content. Like, 'The Pioneer Woman' is kind of a silly name for a blog, but she gets millions of hits a week and people just love her and are loyal readers, they don't care about the name. It's a moot point after a while."

Loki seemed to take her reasoning as a challenge. "I find a name or a title to be very important," he said haughtily. "Not something to be written off, after you've read the cover once."

Darcy inclined her head. Who did this asshole think he was? She could tell him a thing or two about the names of books, Mr. Soul Crushing Story of Utter Brilliance, otherwise known as the douchiest title in the history of ever.

She opened her mouth to say exactly that, but then felt Jane kick her in the shin under the table.

"Alright guys," Thor said, as he mercilessly returned to the table carrying drinks. Coffee for him and Jane … tea for Loki. Darcy rolled her eyes … of course he'd like tea. Probably rooibos, or something equally irritating.

Loki's phone rang and he answered it, thankfully taking him out of the conversation … he began speaking in rapid Italian. "Ciao. Come stai? _I'm so glad you called me_."

Jane raised an eyebrow.

"So what did I miss?" Thor asked, obviously used to his brother talking on the phone while real life went on around him.

"Oh nothing," Darcy said, "We were just discussing the importance of book titles."

Thor rolled his eyes slightly. "Oh really," he said, as if he already knew Loki was a serious asshole.

Darcy already liked Thor. She decided that she was pro-Thor. Yay for Jane!

"Malissimo. _The plebeians are already out in full-force, Coulson. Everyone has returned to this backwoods middle-American University town for the fall … not really a town, more like a village, a hovel, and not even a quaint or a charming village, but a place where the nation's youth go to learn a few things they'll no doubt forget, and then vomit in the streets on the weekends_."

Darcy looked over at Jane with a grin on her face … her eyes getting wider.

" _And you should see the new girl that Thor is after …_ "

Jane ducked her head slightly and Darcy barely shook her head, willing her to not out them.

Oblivious, Thor kept asking questions. "So, Jane tells me that you've entered the masters program in painting? That must be exciting."

Darcy smiled at Thor. "Yeah, but I'm a little nervous about teaching the freshmen. I've got my first drawing 101 class in a few days."

He grinned back at her. "I'm sure you'll be wonderful."

Wow, what a nice guy.

" _Yes yes, I know … but the girl he's trying to set me up with ... it's almost insulting. Some hipster with horned-rims and fake tits ... paint splattered all over her person, as if that's supposed to be charming. I really don't know how he finds these people … they must be sports groupies. Star fuckers._ "

Wow, what _not_ a nice guy.

Jane pressed her lips together, angry, ready to say something … but Darcy kicked her under the table … and this time she was successful.

"How's work going today, Jane?" Thor asked, having no idea what was going on, poor thing.

"Fine," Jane squeaked out.

Loki sighed into his phone, as if he was irritated with the person on the other end ... though the girls pretended to not be paying attention.

He kept talking in Italian, " _Fine. But I'm only doing this until Thor has this one in the bag. He said it would be nice to fuck a smart girl for once, though I'm not sure he understands the definition of 'smart' as this one seems about as bright as a goat … yes, he said he wondered if intelligence would make her better in the sack … then I'm sure he'll move on to his next experiment. Always does. This one seems to have the personality of a piece of driftwood and no style … it's just one of his passing fancies. There are dozens of her_."

Darcy felt a punch to the gut for her friend, who had always been known to be sensitive and had probably never heard anyone insult her in such a way. She instantly saw tears welling up in her eyes.

"You wanna get out of here?" Darcy said quietly.

Jane nodded her head rapidly, a tear escaping down her cheek, which she quickly wiped at with the back of her hand.

"What's the matter?" Thor asked, looking between the two girls, confused. Loki looked up from his phone conversation, a bit baffled as well.

Darcy ignored him as she gathered up her things. "My place or yours? We can watch episodes of _Grey's Anatomy_ and you can pick apart all the medical procedures? It'll be fun," she tried to force a smile.

Thor began to shake his head. "I … I don't understand. Ladies?"

Loki's brow furrowed, also not understanding why the girls were leaving abruptly.

Jane hurried out the door, but Darcy hung back for a second and looked Loki straight in the eye. She motioned towards her tits. "Oh, by the way … they're real. And they're _spectacular_."

She turned on her heel and followed Jane out the door.

What Fuckass McDouche didn't know, was that when the girls were nineteen, they'd spent their summer in Rome with Darcy's aunt. They'd taken night classes beforehand to firm up their Italian before the trip, though Darcy had listened to it all her life from her mother.

Her father's last name might have been Lewis, but her mother's was De Luca.

The last thing the girls heard before the door shut behind them was Thor's booming voice. "LOKI! Not _again_ …"

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> XXX
> 
> Loki's novel is a spoof off of Dave Eggers' A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. I used to not be able to stand Dave Eggers, thinking he was pretentious and just … too precious, and obnoxious. Kinda how I feel about the Arcade Fire. Now I kinda love him (but not the Arcade Fire). It's kind of meta ;-)
> 
> I realize it's hokey as hell to call the college "Asgardia" and for Thor to be playing for the Vikings ... but it couldn't be helped. I regret nothing.
> 
> Next up: Loki's perspective.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Loki gets served.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, thanks for the amazing reception for this, you guys! And for all your awesome comments. I'm having a lot of fun with this one. And I'm having a lot of fun torturing Loki ;-)
> 
> This chapter will be from his prospective, and from here on out, they'll switch between him and Darcy. They'll also usually start with an excerpt from her blog or from the book he's working on.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

_Being back in this town makes me automatically regress back to years ago. It's like nothing I've learned over the past decade matters in the least … everything comes back when I see it. When I live it. It really is a beautiful place … a dream for anyone who wants to quench their thirst for the outdoors to go along with their academia. It was altogether fine, if you chose to go to University at Asgardia, and you were at all athletic or enjoyed things like hiking and rowing and watching the sunrise over glass lakes, or something equally irritating and maddening to a person who fantasizes about rain and dreary days … just for the good excuse of staying in the corner by your window and reading all day … listening to the meticulous sound of the raindrops on the glass. It's better than any benzo you could throw at me. Those were the times that I liked best here. The weeks where it would rain non-stop. And the winters. Snow can pile up so high that it's dangerous to drive around these hills. Best to stay in. Best to stay close. But on a summer's day such as this, I am that shadow … when all you notice are the same freshmen girls walking around in next to nothing, away from home for the first time … on their way to their first hedonistic gathering of Dionysian worship, on a quest to lose self-respect, memories, and virginities … I'm not sure if I want to shield them from losing it all, or aid them in losing it all. There is the slightest bit of compassion on one shoulder, the only remaining piece of light ... and on the other shoulder … a darkness that needs to be fed._

The last few paragraphs of Loki's writing had been plaguing him … and on no planet did he want to go meet some girl that Thor was seeing. Even if there was supposedly someone there to meet him as well, as promised. If it was anything like it usually was … the girl would probably rather be with his brother, and Thor would end up taking both of them home. Nothing new. Well … perhaps that wasn't quite fair. Thor had changed, even if Loki hadn't believed it in the beginning. After their father's first heart attack, both boys went through an evolution of sorts.

His brother slapped him on the shoulder before entering the coffee shop, the place with so many memories, a fact which was totally lost on Thor, as he never paid much mind to such things. "Jane is a very smart girl … very different. It's nice to have a conversation with a date, and have her know what you're talking about," he said with a grin.

Loki rolled his eyes. "Yes, Thor … welcome to what the common-folk would call actual dating. Where you get to know someone by asking them questions and they actually answer you back, in complete sentences. They don't all just sit there with a dazed look on their face, smacking their gum, wondering why you are not "A" … asking them to get on their knees, instead of asking them how their day went, or "B" ... buying them something with a Louis Vuitton logo on it."

Thor shook his head. "Loki, I really like this one, okay? I want to see where it goes. And if her friend is anything like her, the two of you can have conversations until you are blue in the face." He slapped Loki on the back. "Let's go."

He followed him inside like a good little brother, walking through the door, instantly inhaling the aroma of the roasting coffee beans he'd been so homesick for at times.

"Jane!" He could hear his brother saying, and he knew he should be paying attention, but his mind was on those last few paragraphs. They just were not working … when did he become such a shitty writer?

He walked up and was introduced to two girls but barely took notice of them ... when he was in writing-mode, everything else took a back seat. He could at anytime start to work out a particular piece of plot or prose in his head, and all else would fade. He slid a chair out from its place and absentmindedly sat down, but then someone spoke to him.

"Loki, it's nice to meet you."

He looked up briefly as he adjusted his sleeves ... something he did when he was nervous. She was striking. Peculiar. By the way she was dressed, she obviously hadn't cared that she was meeting a famous football player and a well-known author … either that, or she'd just never heard of the author and wasn't a fan of football. Anything was possible. Her dark hair was wild in that bedroom sort of way … t-shirt just tight enough to accentuate a pair of fantastic breasts. A tattoo peeking out from under a short sleeve. Several more dainty ones wrapping around her wrist and delicate forearm. A pair of glasses perched charmingly on the bridge of her nose. This, combined with the tattoos … such an alluring contrast. She was a smart girl. She was a bad girl.

He blinked. "Likewise," he said, trying to keep the train of his thoughts out of his voice.

Loki never really listened to what Thor was saying to him … something about getting drinks. He was much too wrapped up in his story, and also wondering what the rest of the tattoo on the girl's arm looked like, as a good portion of it seemed to be covered by her shirt.

"So Loki … you're a writer?" Thor's new girl was speaking to him.

"Yes."

"Darcy's a writer too!"

 _Oh, really_.

All of a sudden, what might have had promise, started to take a dark turn. The girl didn't seem to want to talk about it, which seemed strange … usually girls who claimed to be writers could speak of nothing else. _Everyone_ was a writer. Just like everyone was a photographer. Anyone could take a serious profession with a serious discipline, turn it into a hobby, and then call themselves an artist of some sort. It was insufferable. How many launch parties had he been to, where women would fawn all over him and call themselves a writer … hoping for a foot in the door. An _in_. A book deal for their "memoire", that was nothing more than a watered-down regurgitated version of _Eat Pray Love_ , or some other navel-gazing bullshit.

But Thor's girl kept insisting that Darcy was in fact, a writer. _Please don't say blogger, please don't say blogger …_

"She has a very popular blog … Darcy is internet-famous!"

And there we go. There it all goes.

"Fascinating." _Oh, well._

Loki's mind went back to his paragraphs for a moment, before something brought him back. She was saying something about novelists thinking bloggers to be poseurs. Hmm …

"Perhaps."

She stuck out her chin. "Do you ever say more than one word at a time?"

This was new. She obviously was not a blogger masquerading as a writer, nor was she trying to impress him ... as she now seemed irritated … indignant … was that sass? Why yes, yes it was. A challenge. _Bad girl_.

He blinked. "Forgive me. What is the name of your … blog?"

Gods, he hated saying that word. It was a seriously stupid and ugly-sounding word. Who came up with this shit. And " _vlog_ "? A video blog? That sounded even worse.

Loki then did little to ingratiate himself, as people challenging him in anything resembling a battle of wits usually triggered something rather like competition inside of him. He had never been into contact sports for the competition, but battles of wits? Bring it. And it was made worse by being back in this town. His very skin was itching … as if it didn't belong to him, a constant source of discomfort. He realized he was being a dick, and yet words just came out of his mouth as if he was possessed by a dark current flowing through the air. He wished Thor would have never dragged him out of the house. This was useless.

And now Thor was coming back with drinks. _Tea_. He hadn't drank tea since they had roomed together in college, and his brother had used all the coffee filters as toilet paper. He vowed never to drink precious coffee in that house ever again after that.

His phone rang. _Coulson_. Insufferable little man. Thank the gods.

"Ciao." He really didn't feel like getting up to take the call elsewhere, as the usual lethargy from feeling utterly defeated had set in. The writing wasn't working, being back here wasn't working, and going to see his father was laying heavily on his mind. But he also didn't want anyone hearing his phone conversation … _Italian_. Perfetto. "Come stai? _I'm so glad you called me …_ "

"Really," Coulson said, on the other end. "Since when? And why are you speaking in Italian? Thor is trying to set you up with another girl, isn't he."

The man was way too good. As if he had spies trailing after him, at any given moment.

Loki only sighed into the phone.

"How's the trip?" Coulson asked.

"Malissimo. _The plebeians are already out in full-force, Coulson. Everyone has returned to this backwoods middle-American University town for the fall … not really a town, more like a village, a hovel, and not even a quaint or a charming village, but a place where the nation's youth go to learn a few things they'll no doubt forget, and then vomit in the streets on the weekends_."

"How poetic."

" _And you should see the new girl that Thor is after_ …" Loki was almost slightly impressed. This one actually had facial expressions, as opposed to the last one who for some inexplicable reason, had had botox injections at the age of 26.

"Make sure you keep an eye on him. He promised. I don't need to explain away anymore photos of him passed out face-down in the backseat of a limo full of strippers. Face-down between one of the stripper's thighs, I might add."

Loki rolled his eyes as he noticed Thor asking Darcy questions, which resulted in her rather fetching smile lighting up the room. Blast him. This was ridiculous … why did he even bother asking him here? It was just going to happen again. Thor might have claimed to have turned over a new leaf, but he was openly flirting with both of these women.

" _Yes yes, I know … but the girl he's trying to set me up with ... it's almost insulting. Some hipster with horned-rims and fake tits ... paint splattered all over her person, as if that's supposed to be charming. I really don't know how he finds these people … they must be sports groupies. Star fuckers_."

"I fail to see what's wrong with that. It's obvious that someone with paint on her clothes isn't out to pull anybody. And I thought you liked girls with glasses … judging from your Janeane Garofalo and Lisa Loeb obsessions."

That was in high school … _how did he remember these things_?

"And stop speaking in Italian," Coulson said. "It's rude … and you're rusty."

That was it. He was done. He no longer wanted to be a part of this ridiculousness in any way, shape, or form. He wasn't his brother's keeper. He was going to get off the phone, go back to his old room, sit in front of his laptop, and work on his latest chapter … okay, he'd probably also look up Janeane Garofalo stand-up on YouTube, but only after working out those last couple infernal paragraphs.

But one thing was for sure, he was done helping Thor take home two beautiful women.

" _Fine. But I'm only doing this until Thor has this one in the bag. He said it would be nice to fuck a smart girl for once, though I'm not sure he understands the definition of 'smart' as this one seems about as bright as a goat …"_

"A goat. Uh-huh."

 _"Yes, he said he wondered if intelligence would make her better in the sack …_ "

"Sure. As long as she's intelligent enough not to ever talk to TMZ if it doesn't work out."

 _"Then I'm sure he'll move on to his next experiment. Always does. This one seems to have the personality of a piece of driftwood and no style … it's just one of his passing fancies. There are dozens of her_."

"Loki, do you actually believe most of what comes out of your mouth? Because I only believe about 10% of it. Anyone who actually knows you, would realize that your psyche is in the middle of projection-central right now."

Around the end of the exchange, he was only half paying attention, because the girls were getting up to leave for some unknown reason. Thor was confused … which wasn't new, but he wasn't usually confused when it came to women.

Coulson was trying to get his attention on the phone, but all Loki could register was the fact that Jane was hurrying out the door, with a tear running down her cheek. _Oh gods_.

Darcy made to follow, but first bent down and looked Loki in the eyes … hers filled with beautiful furious anger (and great vengeance). She motioned towards her breasts … he couldn't help but look ... hey, she pointed at them.

"Oh, by the way," she seethed. "They're real. And they're _spectacular_."

 _Seinfeld_. She quoted _Seinfeld_.

A fire erupted in his chest … flames licked up his neck. They knew Italian. _They knew Italian_. THEY. KNEW. ITALIAN. Seriously, where did Thor find these two? His usual conquests didn't even have a firm grasp of English.

"I am speechless … I am without speech," he said, to no one in particular, in a daze.

"LOKI!"

Thor's booming voice broke him out of the fog.

" _Not again_ ," his brother said, forcefully. People were turning around to stare at them.

" _Loki_?" said Coulson's far away voice, from the phone in his lap.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

It didn't take Loki very long to find him. Thor had stormed out of the coffee shop and headed a few door down to his old favorite bar. The Pigskin.

He paused before walking in, bracing himself for the smell of cheap beer and bad decisions. It was unnaturally dark inside … the jukebox playing the Dave Matthews Band, probably for the billionth time.

It was like he could sense Loki's approach to the bar. "It's unwise to be in my company right now, brother," Thor said into his mug of Miller Lite.

"Aren't you contractually obligated to drink Budweiser?" Loki knew he was pushing it … he couldn't help it. There had to have been a devil inside of him.

Thor turned around and stared. "It gets harder and harder to stand by you. I've been trying my best here. I realize that this is hard for you, and I'm here to support you … but you're not the only one who has problems."

Loki slowly sat down next to him. "I know this."

"Why did you do it?"

"Coulson is an insufferable little twat. He provoked me."

Thor chuckled in spite of himself. "I can't see why you just don't find another agent."

"He's the best."

"That he is."

Loki took a deep breath. "Listen. I'll explain to Jane what happened. She seems like a reasonable sort. I'll tell her that you never said the things I implied. She was …" Loki internally winced … "nice." It wasn't every day that he admitted these things. And perhaps his brother _wasn't_ trying to pick both girls up ... he must really like this one, if he had this kind of reaction.

Thor stood with a smile. "Great! Let's go."

Loki stared for a few seconds. " _Now_?"

"Yes, _now_."

Loki groaned. All he wanted was his laptop … and coffee, and solitude. And perhaps a nice girl-with-glasses fantasy.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> XXX
> 
> The things from these chapters are not necessarily my actual opinion ... I'm just trying to get into their heads. Like Loki's dislike of Eat Pray Love ... I actually really like Eat Pray Love.
> 
> I'm trying to tear apart the assumptions that both Loki and Darcy have made about the other. And this will probably be the only chapter where we'll see one scene from both of their perspectives, just because I've gotta move this story along in order to get to the good stuff ;-)
> 
> Also, Darcy's tattoos are a nod to the Loki: Agent of Asgard comics and Verity Willis. I totally believe that she was inspired by Darcy Lewis and no one can tell me otherwise. That comic series is awesome btw, and funny. It's had me in stitches several times. If you haven't read it already, you should read it.
> 
> Next up: Jane & Darcy drink wine out of a box with mason jars because they're classy broads.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Darcy tries to not give shits about Loki ... but somehow ends up giving a couple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we're back! Thanks for all the kind words, yo! And without further ado, onto Darcy's perspective ...

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

**_A quickie:_ **

_Alright guys, a lengthy post is coming soon, but to hold you over, I've developed a simple, yet effective menu for something many of us can relate to …_ heartbreak _._

_This quickie is for anyone who is too distraught to cook, and it's proven to help you forget about any manner of fuckasses, cheaters, commitment-phobics, and/or general douche-canoes._

**_Menu:_ **

_Redneck Sangria - courtesy of a friend of mine from Memphis … it helped get us through many a sad night in Savannah._

_Chocolate - Any kind. Ice cream, a bag of M &Ms, a couple of Hershey's Kisses fished out from the bottom of your purse, etc … and I have to add that every girl worth her salt needs an emergency chocolate and wine stash, ready at all times._

**_Redneck Sangria:_ **

_• Box of red wine_

_• Orange Fanta_

_• Bag of frozen fruit_

**_Chocolate:_ **

_• Self-explanatory_

_To be eaten/drank while watching mind-numbing cable television or classics such as_ Sixteen Candles _and_ Say Anything, _to remind us that it's not our fault, that Hollywood (and specifically John Hughes and Cameron Crowe) has ruined us by giving us characters such as Jake Ryan and Lloyd Dobbler, thus raising our expectations of men, and making us look at the guys in our lives … and leaving us wondering … "why are you so … not awesome?" ..._

Darcy was doing a quick post from her phone while her increasingly tipsy friend was engrossed in trashy reality television.

"Oh. My. God … OH MY GOD … a lizard crawled into that guy's dick! HOW DID HE LET A LIZARD CRAWL INTO HIS DICK!?" Jane shouted at the television, the spoon from her pint of chocolate peanut butter ice cream hanging out of her mouth.

The girls had been camped out on Jane's ancient couch, watching episodes of _Sex Sent Me to the E.R._ on TLC, as after a few mason jars full of redneck sangria, the med student couldn't watch _Grey's Anatomy_ anymore without screaming "THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN" every five seconds. Darcy had to shut it off.

She hit the publish button for her blog and looked up. "I don't know how the lizard got in there, dude. I mean, he looks like a hippie … sounds like he wanted to be one with nature and fell asleep naked in the woods. Or something."

"Hm. I hope a lizard crawls into Thor's brother's dick," Jane said, after licking her spoon.

Darcy giggled. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure one is already all up in there. He seems way too angry and depressed for someone who's sold that many books … there must be something seriously wrong with his dick."

"Yep," Jane said. "Only explanation. Medical fact." She set her pint of ice cream on the coffee table and turned to Darcy. "Do you really think that Thor said those things?"

Darcy took a sip of her sangria. "Honestly? I don't think so. I mean, Thor just seemed so … like, _nice_. And I guess it could all be an act, but he seemed very genuine. I wouldn't believe anything Loki says, I mean … he's a writer of fiction. A career storyteller. I don't know. It's a tough call … a few years ago, I would have definitely said no … but the older I get, the more jaded I get."

"Tell me about it. I'm sorry that I got you involved … sorry about what Loki said," Jane said, looking sad.

Darcy put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it wasn't your fault. And it was good for a laugh … now every time I walk past one of his books at Barnes & Noble, I'll crack up about what a fuckass he is," she grinned.

Darcy made to set her drink on the table and accidentally knocked several plastic go-cups onto the dingy carpet. Jane's place was a modest ranch-style house only a few blocks away from the hospital, probably rented only for its location. It was blank as hell, having absolutely no decoration except for a few medical-type charts hung haphazardly on the walls … and it was a total mess, which didn't seem like her friend at all.

"Not to change the subject or anything, but your apartment kind of sucks. How many people live here? This place is tiny. And cluttered. Bad feng shui dude."

Jane shrugged. "It's me and three other med students. We don't need much, just a place to hang our hats … we're never at home."

"And you obviously don't clean either …"

"Never home long enough to clean. That's why we eat off paper plates and have plastic cups … no one has time to do dishes."

"That's like, the most depressing thing I've ever heard … and we just spent time with Thor's brother. Why don't you move in with me? I've rented this great house … on top of the big hill, it's huge. Way too big for just me."

Jane was impressed. "How did you get it? Most of the places up there are rented over a year in advance."

"Apparently some hippies were living there. Like, trustafarians. They skipped out on the lease in the middle of the night and joined some peace & love movement called the Rainbow Family, or some shit. They have these flower-power gatherings in the wilderness apparently, where they act like it's still 1970. It's totally weird … I keep finding strange shit around the house. There was a shrine to the Hindu god Ganesh in the upstairs bathroom. And dozens of jars in the basement filled with dried mushrooms, herbs, and bark, or whatever. I'm actually kind of afraid to see what's in the attic, I haven't worked up the courage to go up there yet. Oh, and they painted the house purple. It's a fucking purple house. The landlord was pretty pissed off about it, and he kept telling me that he'd get it painted back to white, but I told him not to." Darcy shrugged, "I kind of like it purple."

Jane didn't seem surprised by this. Asgardia was like a beacon for hippies. "Um. Alright. How much is the rent?"

Darcy smiled. "Free. Paid for by Ezra Lewis. He would have wanted it that way … you were always part of the family. Just help with me out with the utilities?"

"Wow! Um … hell yeah!"

"Awesome."

The doorbell rang.

The girls looked at each other, confused. "Who comes over without texting first? Mormons? Jehovah's Witnesses?" Darcy asked.

Jane shrugged, got off the couch, and walked to the door.

Darcy shifted her attention back on the TV with her feet propped up on coffee table, not worrying too much if it was rude to do so in someone else's house, considering it was covered with old paper plates and a couple of pizza boxes.

A few seconds later, Thor and Loki Odinson walked into the living room, Jane following on their heels with her arms crossed.

_What the fuck?_

Darcy swung her legs off the table and sat up as Jane took her former seat on the couch. "All right," she said, picking her glass of sangria back up. "You've got two minutes."

Darcy picked up a bowl of Reese's Pieces and popped a few in her mouth as if she was anticipating watching a thriller. _This is gonna be good._

Both of the guys looked nervous, but Loki looked downright twitchy. Thor put his hand on Loki's back and pushed him forward in an attempt to get him talking.

He looked up towards the ceiling, as if he was appealing to his gods for guidance. "I realize that I was unforgivably rude earlier. I never meant for that phone conversation to be heard … the man on the other end, my agent ... tends to bring out the worst in me."

"Sounds like _life_ brings out the worst in you," Darcy quipped.

Loki stared at her unblinking for a few seconds and went on. "I also realize that I was less than friendly throughout our meeting … my mind has been elsewhere these past few days, as I work out pieces of my writing in my head at all times, when I'm working on a new novel."

Darcy could _almost_ sympathize with the writing thing, as the same kind of thing happened to her sometimes … though she was sure it wasn't _nearly_ as important and earth-shattering, since she was a blogger and all.

"I may have misrepresented Thor's intentions."

"Loki," Thor said.

"I misrepresented Thor's intentions."

Loki sighed before continuing. "He did express hopes that things work out between the two of you, Jane … as he seems quite enthralled by your intelligence and strong but compassionate nature ... as Thor is used to the kind of women who think that his football team is named The Vikings, because they are the indigenous people of Minnesota."

Thor sighed heavily behind him. "Jane. Darcy. I apologize for my brother … he likes to take a step forward, only to take two steps back. It's a favorite pastime of his."

Darcy openly laughed. Yep, she was definitely pro-Thor.

Loki rolled his eyes, something else that seemed to be a favorite pastime of his. "I hope that I haven't ruined your good opinion of my brother." He narrowed his eyes as they swept across the less-than-stellar house-keeping, before they landed on the glasses the girls were holding. "Are those … mason jars that you're drinking wine out of?"

Darcy grinned. _What a snob_. "It's a requirement for the type of drink it is," she said … "but that is a closely guarded secret, and you are unworthy of knowing what that is."

"I'm devastated."

"As you should be." Darcy raised her glass to him in a mock toast.

Jane drained the rest of her wine and stood. "Fine." She slammed the glass on the table, disturbing a pile of used napkins. "Thor? We're good, I believe you," she said.

Thor smiled at Jane like she made all of his dreams come true … but then she walked up to Loki and hauled off and clocked him right in the face, with an audible whack.

" _THAT_ was for what you said about Darcy!"

The blow had made him turn his head to the side. Loki stood frozen for a second before he brought his hand up to his jaw to rub at it.

Darcy pursed her lips together to keep from laughing. Her friend must have been pretty drunk … she didn't mean to get Jane quite so intoxicated. It seemed as though she'd turned into quite the light-weight without her best friend's influence around.

She stood next to Jane. "Thanks for defending my honor, honey … but I think I'm gonna take this as my cue to leave. I've got some things to work on, you know, like a bit of low-brow blogging … and it seems like you and Thor have some stuff to talk about. And no offense, but I'm tired of all this," she said, motioning her hand towards Loki.

Darcy started to gather up her phone and messenger bag.

"I'll be on my way as well, brother," Loki said. "I need to work on my writing."

An expression of worry flashed across Thor's face. "Are you sure?"

Loki attempted what looked like a reassuring half-smile. "I'm fine," he said.

Darcy looked at them suspiciously. Something was going on between them … but it was _so_ not her problem.

She hurried out the door, so she wouldn't find herself walking along with the asshole … but it was too late … Loki was practically on her heels.

"I hope a lizard crawls up your dick!" Jane yelled from inside, before the door shut behind them.

Loki's hand was still absentmindedly rubbing his cheek. He gave a little laugh. "I like her."

"She's very likable," Darcy said, as she hurriedly tried to walk off the porch. "Well … _bye_!"

"Darcy," he said after her.

She stopped in her tracks. Ugh. He wanted to talk to her … why didn't she just keep walking? _Because the way that deep voice said her name ..._

"May I have a word?"

Darcy took a deep breath. She turned around to face him. "What?"

In the sunlight, it was as if his eyes were picking up the exact color of his muted-green shirt, and the brightness outside revealed his flawless skin. Why was he so hot? Was this some kind of cosmic joke? Haha, women of Earth! Here's this beautiful creature that's also the most irritating man alive.

His features were softer than they were inside. "I apologize if I offended you. I didn't mean …" his voiced trailed off, and he pushed a few strands of his hair that had escaped his ponytail, behind his ear. It made him seem very young. "I have a long history of Thor trying to set me up with someone, only for the lady to prefer his company. I went into the situation with the wrong mind-frame, and eventually assumed it would result in the same outcome as always."

Darcy's eyebrows shot towards her forehead. "What? Gross! Jane is my friend. And even if she wasn't … I'm not into big beefy dudes … aaaand, I'm not sure why I'm explaining myself to you." She made to turn back around again, ready to walk away.

"In the past", he said quickly ... "it hasn't mattered if the women were friends … Thor would usually end up taking both of them home anyway," he gave a harsh laugh.

Darcy's mind flashed back to a guy from her past, who also liked to take two women home with him ... one on each arm. Too bad he'd only be able to use one of those arms now .. haha. She winced, _no she did not just think that_.

But she didn't understand Loki's dilemma. What did he have to be so pissy about? Or resentful. He was a douche, but he was ... okay, so he was gorgeous. And successful. What the fuck was his problem? Surely, he could get his own women.

She wasn't sure why, but she kept talking to him. "Ya know, I have a long history of Jane trying to set me up with science nerds … but that's just her. Her heart has always been in the right place, even if she's trying to get me to double-date with dudes who have seriously questionable social skills. If you love someone, it's a give and take. I embarrass her sometimes because I can be loud and filterless in public … and then she tries to give me nerds. I mean, I'm sure it sucks for you to watch Thor take home all the bimbos, though it doesn't sound like you think much of them anyway … but on the other hand, just think about what your brother goes through, having to deal with your depressing ass. See? Give and take."

He looked confused. "Jane tries to give you … nerds? I am … a nerd?"

Darcy shook her head. " _That's_ what you got from that? No, you're not a science nerd … though you do seem to have questionable social skills ... but you're actually the first manic-depressive writer that she's tried to set me up with, so that's good I guess. Variety is the spice of life, after all."

This seemed to strike a bit of a nerve. He looked down, irritated. "You don't know me."

Darcy shrugged. "I know that you make a _hell_ of a first impression ... and I know that you seem very dark and broody and sullen for someone who has all of his limbs, all of his hair still … a cool brother like Thor, and a book on ' _Time's_ 50 Best Books of the Decade' list." Darcy narrowed her eyes, the deficient personality fading from his visage, as the wind blew those stray locks of hair back from behind his ear. He was a neo-classical painting. Jacque Louis David would have loved him. She continued, "not to mention some _killer_ cheekbones and symmetrical facial structure …"

She snapped out of it. "Sorry, I've studied figure drawing for way too many semesters … I'm always mapping that stuff out in my head, I'm sure you can relate with the ... you know, writing stuff." _You're rambling, Lewis! Rambling!_

She momentarily wondered what his naked torso looked like … for figure-drawing purposes only! _Figure studies were important!_

"ANYWAY." _Back to Earth!_ "You seem like the type of person who only focuses on what they _don't_ have, instead of seeing what they _do_ have. Grow up, Loki."

His long legs took two steps towards her, and he was suddenly right in front of her face, his eyes painfully searching hers … a storm brewing in them.

"You should not make assumptions about me. As the great Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, 'Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not …"

She blinked at him. _Really?_

"Hm. Well, as the great Justin Timberlake said … 'Cry me a river.'"

She turned around and hurried down the steps, heading up the hill towards her new house.

Later, while she was in her kitchen working on her new post (after finding another shrine to what Darcy figured was some kind of goddess of cooking, in one of the kitchen cabinets), she couldn't help but think of Loki. The strange and surprising look he gave her kept flashing back in her mind. There was a raw longing in those ridiculously magnetic iridescent eyes … and it didn't leave her all evening.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So ... the episode of Sex Sent Me to the ER is an actual episode. It is a trashy trashy horribly addicting show that you can't look away from if it catches you whilst flipping through channels. So yeah, there is actually a guy out there who was sent to the ER because a lizard crawled into his dick. Anyway.
> 
> Also, redneck sangria is amazing and should be tried.
> 
> Thanks again for all the awesome comments!
> 
> Next up: Dr. Banner is introduced. And he's cool as a cucumber.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we discover that Loki has at least one friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the lovely comments, you guys! Onto Loki ... poor tortured Loki ;-)

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

_I am yet determined to see this place through new eyes. To walk around the familiar pathways as if I've never been here, except perhaps only in a dream. And so far, I have failed miserably. I see how things could, at times, turn out well … but I never allow them to. I could spend time with my brother, fall back into our easy back and forth … I could meet the new person in his life. I could converse with possible new friends, but I cannot. Here, all I do is ruin …_

He needed to write it down. He needed to leave Jane's dilapidated flat, go back to his laptop, and record all of his thoughts … but he still stood on the porch. He didn't want her to leave ... he didn't want to stop talking to her just yet.

She seemed so … very independent. As if she could be at ease anywhere … she didn't need anyone by her side to make her feel more comfortable. She came and went as she pleased. It was just another thing that he'd discovered was so very attractive about her. In a manner of hours, he'd managed to fuck up what could have been a fortuitous meeting filled with promise. And now, she was standing in front of him, firing off deserved insults, and yet … also revealing that perhaps she didn't completely hate him … or at least that he wasn't a total lost cause.

"I know that you make a _hell_ of a first impression," she said ... "and I know that you seem very dark and broody and sullen for someone who has all of his limbs, all of his hair still … a cool brother like Thor, and a book on ' _Time's_ 50 Best Books of the Decade' list."

So she did know of him … as an author. That, or she'd googled him on her phone between the coffee shop and Jane's house. Either was possible. Did it matter?

As the wind blew bits of his hair into his face again, her brows, turned downward in anger, suddenly softened. It was as though she'd been looking at something blurry and it suddenly came into focus. "Not to mention some killer cheekbones," she said, as if she realized that she'd just looked at him for the first time. "And symmetrical facial structure …"

Well that was new. Of all the things women have said to him over the years … "symmetrical facial structure" was probably one the more clinical sort-of compliments on his looks that he'd gotten, but certainly not unwelcome.

"Sorry, I've studied figure drawing for way too many semesters … I'm always mapping that stuff out in my head, I'm sure you can relate with the ... you know, writing stuff." She looked down, blushing and shaking her hair out with her hand. It was a nervous gesture. _She was nervous and flushed_.

He began to open his mouth to tell her that he understood what she meant, and that he'd been doing it all day ... but she looked back up, the look of annoyance had returned to her eyes. "Anyway. You seem like the type of person who only focuses on what they _don't_ have, instead of seeing what they _do_ have. Grow up, Loki."

It was as if she could read him like an open book, which was most alarming. She could see the person that he was, the person that used to live in this town, the person he turned into when he came back … but she couldn't see everything he'd been through, she couldn't see the evolution that would result. She _didn't_ know him. Though he hadn't given her much reason to _want_ to get to know him in any meaningful way. But still, his obvious transparency … and regression, angered him. And in typical Loki fashion, when he was angry with himself, he was angry with everyone else even more so.

He stepped in front of her and bent down, intending to seem imposing, in control … but he noticed her blue eyes as they locked with his … she did not look away. Blue was thought to have been one of the "cool" colors, along with purple … green. Cold. But the blue of her eyes reflected warmth somehow. Jumping in those pools, you'd know the water was perfect.

He was momentarily a bit distracted ... he was supposed to be in control. "You should not make assumptions about me. As the great Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, 'Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not …"

He stopped. She looked as if she could laugh. "Hm. Well, as the great Justin Timberlake said … 'Cry me a river.'"

She turned and walked away. Again. She was very good at making exits, he had to commend her for it.

He then recited the words again ... this time finishing the line of Longfellow poetry he'd started … to no one. To the wind. "Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not … and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

The house was out past town and into the country … after driving on the 2-lane highway for a ways, Loki turned onto a questionable gravel road, twisting and turning up a hill. He reminded himself not to come anywhere near this place in the winter. Nestled in a wooded Appalachian paradise, was Dr. Banner's place. A hunting lodge with no hunting. It was a bit like a log cabin on steroids, a sort of refuge. Or as much of one as could be found around here.

Bruce Banner opened the door, looking a bit tired and like he hadn't seen the daylight in a while, squinting at the sun light … even though it was setting. "Why are you alone?" he asked.

"Thor needed to see to the new girl he's dating. It's fine," Loki said, as he walked into the barely lit open room.

Banner rubbed his head, making his dark hair specked with grey, stand up in places. "No, it's _not_ fine. You're supposed to have a companion with you at all times, until you know that you can handle being around everything that triggers you," he said, as he motioned for him to sit down in an overstuffed easy chair. Everything in the house was meant to be a comfort. It was Bruce's sanctuary.

"I'm fine, I assure you."

"And yet you came here," he said, also sitting down.

"Am I not allowed to visit a friend?" Loki asked, visibly twitchy, his eyes darting around everywhere, taking everything in.

"Sure, but you're going to tell me why you're actually alone … something happened, I can practically smell the crazy on you."

Loki frowned, irritated. "Should you be calling me crazy?"

Bruce smiled lazily. "It's a joke, Loki … that's one of your problems, you know? You take things too personally."

He sighed. "Yes, yes I know. One of my many deficiencies. Shall we talk about all the others as well?"

"Have you gone to see your father yet?"

"We're jumping right to that, are we?"

"There's no use in avoiding it, Loki."

He rubbed his eyes with both hands. "No. I have not. I just arrived here this morning."

Bruce looked sympathetic. "You know I'm not going to push you to do anything before you're ready … but you shouldn't dance around it for too long."

"I know this."

"So … what happened."

Loki leaned back in the chair. "As soon as I got off the plane, Thor wanted me to go see about a couple of girls." He could hear Banner give a soft disapproving "hmph". "One was the girl he's been seeing the past few weeks, since he arrived here, she's a resident … the other was her friend, who is apparently starting grad school in a few days."

"And?"

Loki shrugged. "And I thought it would be like any of the other hundred-plus times he's tried to do the same thing, with women who could only manage one or two word sentences when I asked them questions … and who only wanted to be with a football star anyway."

"You know you're not supposed to be making assumptions … one of the four agreements," Bruce said.

Loki rolled his eyes. "A few months of study isn't going to undo three decades of pattern."

"Agreed. Go on."

"But you are right. I should not have made such assumptions. They were by far and away the most intelligent women I've ever seen him with. I don't know what to say for him other than … bravo! Bravissimo, Thor. _Again_."

"Stop it."

Loki rubbed at his eyes again. "I made a complete ass of myself. I apologized, but if things work about between Jane and Thor, she will probably never have a good opinion of me. And her friend …" Loki fell back against the chair and closed his eyes.

Bruce smiled slightly. "Do you like her?"

He kept his eyes closed. "Does it matter? She probably hates me."

"Hey, at least you apologized. That's a sign of growth, right there."

"It doesn't change the fact that she probably still hates me."

"Sure it does."

Loki opened his eyes. "How so?"

"At least she knows you're capable of admitting when you're wrong. That's a big thing for you, and you shouldn't dismiss it."

"She doesn't know that."

Bruce looked at him suspiciously. "I haven't seen you care about a girl in a very long time … how long has it been?"

Loki gave a harsh laugh. "It's definitely been over a year."

"And you've kept your plant alive?"

"Yes, she is thriving."

"And your snake?"

"He's fine. I don't know … are snakes ever sad? They're snakes."

"How's Fenrir?"

Loki sighed, he already missed Fenrir. "I brought them all over from London ... but after a stop at my New York apartment, I left them with Coulson, as I didn't plan on staying here very long. I'm sure he's fine … Fenrir likes Coulson for some odd reason."

"You should send for them … you know you're going to be staying here awhile. You might as well admit it."

"I know. It was wishful thinking."

Bruce smiled. "So you've managed to keep a plant, a snake, and dog, alive for 8 months or so … do you feel like you're ready for a relationship? Can you keep one of those alive?"

Loki shook his head. "That's certainly putting the cart before the horse. There's the small matter of the girl hating me that might put a damper on any future relationship."

"Things could change."

"Probably not. That is the tragedy of my life."

Bruce shook his head. "You need to get some perspective, Loki. You pissing off a girl is not a tragedy. Now, the families I treat out past the University area? Like when criminally uneducated mothers give their babies Mountain Dew in their bottles, making it so that their teeth grow in rotten? That's a tragedy. Maybe you should come out there with me sometime."

Asgardia itself was a rich area, but it was completely dependent on the university. If the college wasn't there, the town would probably be just as poor as much of the rest of Appalachia. There was serious poverty that went unnoticed by most of the country, because it wasn't in the cities, in full view. It was up in the mountains, tucked away. Bruce helped to treat the poorest of the families, giving them medical care. "I don't know how I could be of any help," Loki said.

Bruce shook his head. "We could always use help."

"I'll think about it."

"I'll take that."

Loki sat up and scooted to the edge of the chair. "What's wrong with me? My mind is this jumbled … _thing_."

"I don't know. I'm not that kind of doctor."

"Maybe you should have been a therapist."

Bruce shook his head. "No … I don't have the … temperament."

Loki looked confused. "Then what are we doing now?"

Bruce shrugged. "We're just one ex-raging coke fiend and one heroin addict … trying to support each other. The only difference is, I have a few more years of sobriety under my belt."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Loki stayed with Bruce for the night, as he was too tired to go back to his parent's house and do any writing. It would have to wait. He'd been up for too many hours, traveling in the early morning, and then dealing with the emotional ups and downs of the day. After a dinner consisting of a simple pasta made with vegetables from Bruce's garden, there was the meditation, of course. You couldn't get out of it if you stayed with Bruce. Morning and night. They'd sat out on the porch, listening to the sounds of the late-August wooded countryside, and practiced stillness. Bruce of course, was a master of lotus-pose at this point, but Loki always had trouble sitting in such a way, with his long legs … it became a distraction after a while. Bruce said that he needed to push through the distraction … but that was easier said than done, as Loki was nearly a foot taller than Bruce, and thus his limbs were a bit longer. As soon as he lay down on the bed, in the loft that was reserved for guests, he fell into a deep sleep ... and had to admit, he felt much better than he had when he arrived.

But then Bruce woke him up at daybreak for tai chi, and Loki wondered what the hell had possessed him to stay, knowing that of course, this is what would happen. How could he forget. Bruce had a strict a regimen of practice for keeping himself centered at all times, and Loki admired him for it. But Loki also liked to sleep in on the weekends, and anyone who tried to mess with that, usually ended up sorry for it. But Bruce was different. You couldn't say no to the guy, because at the end of the day, he was just trying to help a brother out. And it was nice to watch the sun rise, the light dancing through the trees ... as they practiced their silent and fluid movements, setting a tone of peace for the day. Or at least attempting to.

After his legs burned from the tai chi, and after downing about a pot of coffee, Loki borrowed one of Bruce's laptops. He sat at the kitchen table, in order to write down the things he'd worked out in his head over the past 12 hours. He logged into his cloud and brought up his precious documents, furiously typing away ... but after a while, he grew distracted, his mind wandering elsewhere. On a whim, he decided to look up Darcy's blog … as masochism was a bit of a hobby.

As soon as the page came into view, he was surprisingly impressed. The site was beautifully designed … sleek and simple. Interesting imagery. Of course, she was an artist of some sort, so she would know about the aesthetics of a good website. He looked at her picture in the right hand corner, under the header. She was in a Rosie the Riveter-type pose, holding a whisk and a paint brush ... one eyebrow raised as she grinned seductively. The photo, the site, everything looked very professional … maybe she really was a popular blogger?

But then he read the first few sentences of the featured post, which had been published very early in the morning.

Loki suddenly stood up from the table. "Oh, gods!" He brought his hands to his face.

"What?" Bruce walked over to look at the computer screen, from where he had been standing at the counter, preparing breakfast.

...

_August 30_

_So I met the douchiest guy alive yesterday. A straight-up douche. No really, he's the actual spokesperson for MASSENGILL. They must pay him very well because he is_ on _, like he never breaks character …_

_..._

Bruce started laughing. "Is that about you?"

"Oh, no."

"It is, isn't it?"

"Oh, gods."

Loki stood frozen as Bruce scrolled through the post, cracking up every few seconds.

"This looks like a pretty damn good recipe you inspired," he said, chuckling. "We should try it … I have most of the ingredients. Bacon, lettuce, tomato ... maybe not the avocado, though."

Loki didn't really want to know what it was. "What is it?"

Bruce shook his head, still reading, still laughing. "Wow, I really like this girl ... it looks like a play off of a 'BLT'. But this is a BL … T&A. Emphasis on the 'T', she says."

"T&A?"

"Tits & ass? Come on now Loki …"

"Yes, yes, I know … but, _oh gods_."

"Don't worry, she doesn't say who you are." Bruce kept scrolling through the post. "But she already has tons of commenters asking who is 'the guy that inspired a bit of cooking on a late 'SUMMER'S EVE'," he bent over with laughter.

"Oh, _gods_." Loki began to pace. "Coulson can't find out about this … but he always does. It's as if he has a team of spies working under him to make sure he knows about any potential bad press about his clients, before they even know it."

Right on cue, his phone rang. He took it out of his back pocket. _Coulson_.

Loki growled in frustration.

Bruce hadn't stopped laughing.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> XXX
> 
> I know I have non-American readers, so I know that not all of our brands are going to be the same ... so if you don't know what Massengill and Summer's Eve are, a quick google search will fill you in ;-)
> 
> Next up: Darcy's post with the BLT&A (Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato and Avocado) ... and some Steve Rodgers. I love me some Steve Rodgers.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Darcy and Jane say the nickname they gave Bucky Barnes over and over again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The update took a little longer than usual, but this chapter is a bit bigger than the others ... plus, I had to make sure that the recipe worked. Also, when reading Darcy's "blog post", just imagine beautiful photographs of food to go along with the recipe ;-) I might actually post some eventually. Props to food bloggers man, they do a lot of work.
> 
> And thanks to everyone for the amazing comments. You guys are so wonderful to me.
> 
> The recipe is an adaptation of a brunch dish a friend of mine makes. She's a chef here in New Orleans. The only difference is, instead of bread, she uses waffle circles that she cuts out with a cookie cutter, and puts a fried egg on top. It's da effing bomb diggity. If you have any questions about it, feel free to ask.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

_August 30_

_So I met the douchiest guy alive yesterday. A straight-up douche. No really, he's the actual spokesperson for MASSENGILL. They must pay him very well because he is_ on _, like he never breaks character ... not that I had the best opinion of him before actually meeting him, but he did absolutely nothing to change my mind.  
_

 _So basically, all in one day, I unpacked a few things in my new house, which I discovered was previously occupied by "The Merry Pranksters" from_ The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. _Seriously, I'm worried that the whole place is soaked in LSD and I'm going to spontaneously start tripping at any given time. I also hung out with my best childhood friend, who in the past two years, I've only seen a handful of times ... and was set-up with the winner of all the douche-canoe races, who assumed my tits were fake. It was kind of traumatizing, as I've always prided myself on having natural breasts. Believe me, when I lay on my back, they flop to the sides, they don't keep pointing straight up. I'm keepin' it REAL._

_So that's a lot for one day ... I think it's time for a little break, preferably one with bacon. And avocado. Avocado makes everything better.  
_

_For today ..._

**BLT &A (emphasis on the "T") Napoleon.**

Inspired by:

**_Napoleon Crossing the Alps_ by Jacques-Louis David**

****

So who no better to represent the ultimate douche-canoe than Napoleon himself, conqueror of much of Europe, and who eventually met defeat in an ill-fated attempt at world domination. Like this dude could rule the world? Be its king? Ha!

His downfall? He never took "Taking Over the World 101", also known as Risk. Russia is a bitch, you can't hold it all. Especially in the winter. It gets cold there.

As for the neoclassical painting, a French ambassador commissioned the first work ... but Napoleon liked it so much, he requested three more to be made, and hung up in various places to remind the world of his greatness. Note the pose, majestic on his trusty steed, cape billowing, pressing onward, leading the invasion with his funny little outfit and even funnier hat ...

Only to eventually be defeated and imprisoned on an island. What. A. Douche.

So I give you … a BLT&A Napoleon, made with only the best ingredients and an upscale flair ... but at the end of the day, is nothing more than a simple sandwich with delusions of grandeur … and a love for a little T&A ;-)

A napoleon is typically a layered dessert, usually made with puff pastry, but there are savory versions … many times featuring summer vegetables such as tomatoes and eggplant, or a stacked version of a caprese salad. The common theme is layers, stacked tall (unlike Napoleon, strangely enough). This one features late-summer's bounty of tomatoes, as they're at their best, and should be enjoyed while they can. Autumn will be here soon, and we'll have to say goodbye to all the local big and juicy and flavorful heirloom tomatoes.

So thanks to the guy that inspired a bit of cooking on a late 'summer's eve' ;-) I never would have made this dish without you.

BLT&A Napoleon

  * The biggest, juiciest, most voluptuous ripe tomatoes you can find. You can use one kind, or many. The layers are very pretty stacked with different colors of tomatoes, but that's completely optional. The tiniest bit of freshly cracked black pepper & sea salt sprinkled on the tomatoes brings out their amazing flavor.


  * Pancetta. Cooked nice and crispy. Pancetta is just Italian bacon that hasn't been smoked. I'm using it here because unlike bacon, it has a round shape and will fit well with the rest of the ingredients. Plus, it's wonderful.


  * Bibb lettuce. I like to use this because of its single-serving leaves. Use nice round pieces.


  * Brioche. It's an egg bread that's a bit more decadent than the stuff you typically make your morning toast with. Only the best for Napoleon!


  * Avocado slices.


  * Avocado aioli. We can't use regular ole mayo from a jar here, people. That would just be too common and pedestrian. Come on.



Avocado Aioli

  * Mix together equal parts mayo, sour cream, and avocado. Add a splash of lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste. I like to add a bit of cayenne pepper, but if you don't like heat, omit.



Take your slices of brioche and cut circles out with a big round cookie cutter. Brush a little olive oil or butter on the circles and lightly toast. After coming out of the oven, I like to rub the slices with a clove of garlic ... it just adds another layer of flavor. I use two slices of bread per napoleon. After they've been toasted, assemble.

The order I go in is: Brioche, avocado aioli, lettuce, pancetta, tomato ... brioche, avocado aioli, lettuce, pancetta, tomato ... topped with a few slices of avocado slices fanned out. This is the knife & fork fancy version. You could get even fancier and put some aioli in a squeeze bottle and squirt a zig-zag over the whole thing, after it's been plated. It's very pretty.

Variation (and my personal fave): Screw Napoleon. Screw fancy. Forget about everything being perfect and round and pretty. Just make a damn sandwich with two beautiful slices of toasty bread, avocado aioli (or plain ole mayo), pancetta (or plain ole bacon), lettuce, yummy ripe tomatoes, and avocado slices. Devour while watching reruns of _Supernatural_ with a nice big glass of soda. Have yourself a nice Destiel fantasy.

_Until next time, lovelies ..._

* * *

...

The incessant ringing of her phone finally woke Darcy up from her coma-like sleep. She felt around for the vibrating devil device next to her in bed, and squinted to see who it was. _Jane_. Ten missed calls … _Jesus_.

She swiped her phone. "What, dude?" she said, groggily.

"It's 2 o'clock in the afternoon, Darcy!"

She rolled onto her back, pushing her hair out of her face. "So? I stayed up all night working … went to bed when the birds were chirping. And who are you to judge me? You keep even stranger hours than I do, staying up 36 hours at a time."

"I know, I'm sorry. I'm just in the middle a crisis!"

Darcy shot up in bed. "What's wrong?" she asked, suddenly alert.

"I told my roommates that I was moving out and they flipped, even though I said I'd still pay the rent until they found someone else. They said they wouldn't let me leave, cause I'm the only one that ever buys toilet paper and orders pizza, and they'll starve. They're a few years behind me, I guess they depend on me a little too much. I have to move my stuff while none of them are here ... so I have narrow window of opportunity."

Darcy fell back onto her pillows. "That's your crisis? You don't want things to be awkward?"

"You don't understand. I made one of the girls cry … granted, she'd been up for 3 days straight, but she broke down. She was like, 'who am I going to talk to about all the rampant Viagra abuse, and guys coming into the ER with 24-hour hard-ons, you're just always so understanding Jane,' … and I was like, 'I don't know how to respond to that.'"

"Um. I don't know how to respond to that either."

"So when can I start moving things?"

"Whenever you want ... as far as I'm concerned, this place is already half yours."

Darcy grinned in bed ... she could almost hear Jane doing a happy dance.

"Awesome! Are you all moved in? Will I be in your way if I start moving later?"

"Not at all. The movers did the hard part, getting my furniture set up and everything, and taking care of the big stuff. I've just got some boxes to unpack."

"Okay, cool. I'm going to bring a few essentials over in a few hours, and then everything else … I guess we'll have to move it tomorrow evening, everyone will be gone then."

Darcy was now completely awake and smiling, excited to be living with Jane again. "Do you need help?"

"No, I've got Thor. He's good for that."

Right. Football player boyfriends with muscles. "Um, yeah. _Duh_. So how'd it go last night?"

"Oh, fine. We talked and watched some TV ... and then he went home."

Darcy's eyebrows turned inward in confusion. "He went home?"

"Yeah."

" _Really_?"

"I know what you're thinking … and it's only been a few weeks. Thor is probably used to girls who'll suck his dick after knowing him for 10 minutes. He's gonna have to work for it if he wants to get with this."

Darcy smiled slowly. "Hmmmm, I like it, Foster. Playing hard to get."

She could hear Jane sigh on the other end of the phone. "No, I'm really just torturing myself ... but I want things to be different with him."

"Hey, sounds good."

"Okay, we'll be over soonish."

"YAY!"

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

"Darcy, may I talk openly with you for a moment?"

"Of course."

Thor had helped to bring a carload filled with Jane's most precious possessions to the new house. It was mostly med-school tomes and other doctorly paraphernalia ... clothes, and things like a toothbrush and shampoo.

"I want to talk to you about my brother." He was sitting at the kitchen table while Darcy made coffee for the three of them, standing at the counter.

"Okay?"

He looked as if he didn't know where to start, hesitating at first. He smoothed back imaginary stray hairs into his ponytail. "I want to say that I read your blog post this morning ... and I loved it. I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard actually … but I just wanted you to know that yesterday was as much my fault as it was Loki's."

Darcy looked at him like he was crazy. "How so?"

Thor sighed. "We've all been through some things ... but Loki has had a tough couple of years. Being back here is probably bringing a lot of that back up in ways that I can't totally comprehend, because the two of us deal with things so differently."

Wow, Thor really was talking openly.

He looked up at her with his bright blue gaze. "A mutual friend of ours called me this morning to chastise me actually ... I had never even thought about it." Thor shook his head ... "I should not have put Loki in an uncomfortable situation right after he stepped foot onto Asgardia's campus."

Darcy was a bit confused. "But Loki is a grown man, right?"

Thor smiled, though it was a sad smile. "Of course he is. I just don't want you to judge him based solely on yesterday's disastrous meeting. Underneath all that you saw, is a good man. He's very fun to be around in the right circumstances, with a wicked wit, and intelligent charm ... which you seem to have been blessed with as well. I really do think that you would get along if given the chance, and I hope that we can all be friends. I'd love for us to be able to hang out. Old friends and new friends. I believe that Loki will need that in the coming months."

Darcy poured Thor a mug of coffee and walked it over to him. "Okay. I'll think about it."

He nodded in thanks. "Great. But please, don't tell him that I spoke to you on his behalf … I don't want him to take it the wrong way."

She laughed softly as she sat down across from him. "Geez Thor, it sounds like you're walking around on serious eggshells there."

He shrugged. "Just for now. Until he seems to be more comfortable here."

Darcy inclined her head. Something weird was going on ... but whatever. "Hmmm. Okay."

"So will you talk to him?"

"Wait, WHAT?"

Thor looked at her pleadingly. "We're likely to need help tomorrow to move Jane's furniture. Invite him over ... he won't come if I ask him."

She shook her head. "Ughhhhhh, why?"

"Please, Darcy. I would like for all of us to make amends. If there's anything I can do for you in the future, just let me know."

"Super Bowl tickets," she said, totally joking.

"That shouldn't be too hard."

She almost choked on her coffee. "Um, wow. I was kidding."

"Well, whatever you need. Just ask." Thor took out his phone from his pocket and brought up his contact list. "Here's his number … text him, he won't answer an unfamiliar number if you call."

Darcy looked at the strange famous person sitting in her kitchen ... he was just so nice, and it was weird ... she was suspicious. "You realize that you're making me very nervous over here with this cryptic talk. What's going on with you guys?"

Thor looked at her with total sincerity. "I have no doubt that if Loki is able to not be an ass for a few hours, and ingratiates himself to you, like I know he can … the two of you will become friends, and he will tell you. I meddle enough as it is."

She nodded. Darcy was so totally pro-Thor. "You're a good brother."

There was the sad smile again. "Thank you, but I haven't been a very good one in the past."

Darcy raised an eyebrow and grinned at him. "You're also very articulate for a football player."

The sadness left his face and his smile lightened up. "We are not all dumb jocks, contrary to what Loki would have you believe. Before moving to The States, when my father accepted the position of president here at Asgardia, my brother and I went to the best private schools in England. You didn't want to get caught speaking too much slang in front of our father, he didn't care for it."

"Hm. I can sort of relate."

Thor looked curious. "How so?"

Darcy smiled. "My mom, she's Italian ... you never want to be wishy-washy around her. If I ever had trouble expressing myself, or I was nervous, or shy, she'd be like, 'JUST SAY WHAT YOU MEAN! Don't do that American thing, avoiding everything, not making choices. OWN YOUR FEELINGS', she'd say. _Loudly_."

He chuckled. "I can easily imagine that."

Darcy took a sip of her coffee, trying to look coy. "Sooooo, Loki knows about my blog post?"

Thor nodded. "Ohhh, yes, he knows. Our agent called me about it this morning."

She set her mug down rather loudly. "Agent? How is that even possible?"

He shrugged. "Apparently Coulson called him early this morning about another matter, and he can always tell when any of us is hiding something. He got it out of Loki."

"You and Loki have the same agent? Aren't sports agents and literary agents different?"

"Normally, yes. But Coulson is a very special sort ... a special agent. And he's an old friend of the family. He's been with both of us since the beginning."

Darcy gave him a very confused look. "But why would Loki, or your agent for that matter, even care about my post? And why was Loki reading my blog? I was under the impression that he thought blogs were about the lowest form of writing there is ... maybe only slightly above conspiracy theory chain e-mails."

Thor gave her a look that implied she might be a little daft. "As to why Loki was reading your blog, I'd think that was pretty self-evident. As to why Coulson would care … he worries about any bad press. He called me to ask if you seemed like the type of person to name names, and I told him no."

She was taken aback. This was totally weird. "I wouldn't do that … but even if I did, who cares? So some stupid blogger called Loki Odinson a douche bag. And anyway, my post was about Napoleon, who was notoriously short. Your bro is like, seriously tall ... no one will connect the dots. I mean, his book is famous, but it's not like he's a household name. Authors don't end up in gossip columns ... except maybe that one time J.K. Rowling revealed Dumbledore was gay. But Loki's not gonna end up on the news ... like you would."

Thor chuckled. "No, you're right … but he's a household name in literary circles, and those tend to be pretty harsh. Also, you're not just some stupid blogger and you know it. Coulson said you've reached at least a million visitors a month, and that you've had several book offers that you've turned down."

Darcy frowned. "Okay, this is starting to get really creepy. Why is this guy I've never met looking into shit like that? And why does Loki even care?"

Thor frowned, looking a bit guilty and like he wished the subject hadn't been brought up. "Listen, I'm sorry. It's just the nature of things. I'm sure that Coulson has done every background check possible on Jane ... it's just how he is. He's gotten both me and Loki out of many seriously bad situations with his methods, so I tend to not be too critical of him."

"Hm."

Thor looked at Darcy, curious. "Why wouldn't you accept any book deals?"

She shrugged. "What for? All the recipes are up on my site. And I'm not a writer."

Thor laughed. "Keep telling yourself that, Darcy. Now ... text him, please?"

He looked at her with that mighty Thor earth-shattering grin, and those eyes. Like a cute puppy dog who wanted something, and knew they were about to get it via their power of sheer cuteness.

She bent down and lightly tapped her forehead on the table. "I'm so weak ... such a sucker." Darcy sat up. "Fine. But I kind of hate you."

He winked at her, still smiling.

"Ugh. You can dial that down now," she said, waving her hand in his face.

She grudgingly typed letters into a phone message. " _Hey, this is Darcy. I got your number from Thor. Me and Jane need help moving, and you're the only other dude I know in this town. Want to help? I'll make dinner_."

Thor leaned over to look at the message, nodding his head in approval.

Almost immediately, she got a text back.

" _And what would be on the menu for this dinner? A meal inspired by Mussolini? Vladimir Lenin? Genghis Khan_?"

Darcy rolled her eyes. He probably wasn't going to get over that Napoleon thing anytime soon.

" _Nah. No good famous paintings of any of those guys. Do you want to come or not_?"

Loki didn't text back for a few minutes. Thor stared at her phone while Darcy went to give Jane her coffee ... she'd been busy arranging the downstairs bathroom with her things.

"Darcy!" she could hear Thor yelling from the kitchen. "He asks what time?"

She stopped in her tracks in the hallway and face-palmed. _What the hell did I just do?_

And what the hell to make these people for dinner?

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Monday, first day of grad school, and Darcy had a million things to think about. First and foremost in her mind though, for some reason, was dinner. She was actually nervous about cooking for Jane, Thor ... and Loki.

After a series of morning meetings and a tour of her studio space, she headed down the hall in the art building to one of the drawing rooms. She was to help teach a class of undergrads with a 2nd-year grad student, and she wanted to arrive early to get acquainted with them. Darcy quickly realized, however, that it would be totally unnecessary ... as she already knew him.

"STEVE EFFING ROGERS!" She stood in the doorway, shocked.

He looked _good_. Like, really really good. He had facial hair. _Very nice_ facial hair. She'd never seen him all scruffy.

Steve looked up from the book he was studying at a desk, and stood. "Darcy! It's so good to see you!" His big grin made her heart melt.

She ran over to give him a hug. "I didn't know you were here!"

"Sure am. It's the next best thing to Yale … and I wanted to get away from the east coast for a little while."

"Hey, I understand that." Darcy grew curious. "Did you come with Sharon?" She wondered if things had lasted with Miss Carter ... their relationship had caused a bit of a stir back in Brooklyn.

Steve nodded. "Yes. She's finishing her degree in criminology."

"Cool, cool. So, do you ever see Jane?" She frowned all of a sudden. "I'm surprised she didn't mention you were here …"

"Lately, we've been talking. I really didn't run into her until recently, as she's always working. We met in the cafe at the hospital for lunch a few times, but that's about it. That girl is busy. We both are really."

"Are you still in the Army?"

He looked a little sad. "Ah, no. Last year was it. My military service obligation is over."

"Wow, nice! Are you happy?"

"I miss it, but it's nice to concentrate on my artwork for once." He pointed at some of his illustrations, spread out on the desk. Panels for a comic he was working on. Darcy had always loved his superhero illustrations ... he'd been doodling them ever since they were kids.

"Well, I'll miss it a little bit too ... you always looked so good in your uniform. But I like this new look you've got going on," Darcy said, pointing at his beard. "Hey, if things don't work out between you and Sharon, you'll know where to find me," she teased.

Steve grinned. "We have always seemed to miss each other, haven't we? You spent all your time being on and off with Bucky."

Darcy visibly shuddered. "Eh. Don't remind me. How's he doing by the way? I heard about, you know, everything," she said, trying to be polite.

He nodded. "He's doing okay, still recovering. Speaking from experience, it takes a while … and some things just never leave you. But he'll actually be visiting in a few weeks, for an experimental procedure at the hospital. There's some world-renown doctors here who are going to work on his arm."

Darcy could only stare at him for a few seconds. "Okay. Jane is in trouble."

Fear washed across Steve's face. "Don't …"

Darcy turned around and dropped her things on one of the desks ... she put her hands on her hips. " _No_. There's a reason she hasn't mentioned you being here. And I'm sure as shit that she knows about Fucky, I mean … Bucky, having some kind of experimental surgery with famous doctors ... considering we were all friends in Brooklyn. And I'll bet a million dollars she's gonna have a front row seat for all that."

He nodded, looking nervous. "Okay Darcy, just don't get me in trouble. It's nice having you guys here. To have our group back together ... people from the neighborhood. It'll be so much less lonely here, you know? I'm really looking forward to it. Don't be mad at her ... she's only trying to help."

"She's only trying to help?! How involved in this is she, Steve?"

He put his face in his hands. "Me and my big mouth."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

It was all she could think about for the rest of the day. _Betrayal_. Fucking Bucky. She thought about it during class. She thought about it while she picked up a few things to make dinner with, at the little market by her house, angrily picking up vegetables and throwing them in her basket. She thought about it as she walked up the hill. The guy who had made such a horrible impression just a few days ago, didn't cross her mind once.

After she walked through her door, Darcy tossed the groceries on the kitchen table. "JANE!"

"In here!" Her so-called "friend" was calling from the back living room.

She stomped down the hallway, to where Jane was unpacking boxes. Thor and Loki were arranging some of her furniture. The fact that she didn't give a flying fuck about Loki being there, barely noticing his presence, went to show how upset she was.

Darcy put her hands on her hips. "Did you think I wasn't going to run into Steve in the art building?"

Thor and Loki put the couch they were holding up, down.

Jane shrugged, looking around the room, anywhere but at Darcy. "Must have slipped my mind. Hey! There's a Bob Marley painting on the wall!" She pointed at the opposite end, where the previous tenants must have been inspired, or stoned as hell, or tripping balls, and painted a giant green, yellow, and red portrait of the reggae singer. "Did you paint that?"

Darcy stared, aghast. "You know full well I didn't paint that … the proportions are so off it's embarrassing ... you're deflecting, Foster."

Jane was visibly chewing on her lip. "So what are we going to do about it? I don't want to look at a huge Bob Marley mural every morning that looks more like the alien from _Predator_."

Darcy momentarily forgot to be mad for a second, at the mention of art. "I was going to paint over it … and turn it into a portrait of Prince."

"Why Prince?"

Darcy looked at her like she asked a very dumb question. "Because we live in a purple house? Duh!"

Jane gasped. " _I love it_."

Thor then decided to sit on the couch, while Loki slowly lowered himself into an easy chair. Both looked extremely confused.

Darcy shook her head out. "Stop stalling, Foster! Steve fucking Rogers is in my program. How have I not heard about this? And you can't stand there and tell me that you didn't know about Fucky! I mean, Bucky!"

Jane sighed. "I was going to tell you."

"When?"

She threw up her hands. "Well … you've only been here a few days, and between our foray into the Italian language with Loki here," Jane pointed at him, and he bent his head to nonchalantly check his phone … "and the whole distraction of packing up all my shit," she said, her voice growing louder. "I haven't had a lot of time to gently tell you that your one-armed ex-boyfriend was going to be having some experimental Luke Skywalker shit done to him! Okay?"

Both Loki and Thor suddenly looked up and suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable.

Darcy didn't notice the guys at all. "Luke Skywalker shit?"

"Okay, you're right. Wrong side … Darth Vader shit."

She gave a frustrated growl and began to pace.

Jane walked up to her friend and put her hands on Darcy's shoulders, halting her. "Darce … I'm sorry, I just wanted to wait a little while to tell you … find the right moment. If you would have found out about Bucky, you wouldn't have come here, you would have went to Yale instead."

Darcy looked at her like she was crazy. "And that would have been sooooo terrible! Yale, what a horrible school!"

Jane straightened up. "Asgardia's program is just as good and just as prestigious as Yale's, and I knew you wanted to come here. They only admit 20 students a year and you were one of them. You even called to tell me that it felt right somehow. I didn't want Fucky, I mean, Bucky, inadvertently making anymore decisions for you. And it's not like he's going to be staying."

"Whatever Jane. You know full well that wherever Steve goes, Fucky … I mean, Bucky goes."

"Darcy. He's only going to be here because of Dr. Banner and Mr. Stark. They're brilliant and they're both based here, they'll be working on him."

"Bruce Banner?" Loki interjected, slightly diffusing the tension for a second.

"Yeah." Jane looked back at him, momentarily star struck. "You know Dr. Banner? He's like … my hero."

Loki laughed. "He's an old family friend. Thor, did you know that Bruce is the lady's superhero?"

"Shut up, Loki," his brother said quietly, between his teeth.

Darcy took off her glasses and rubbed at her eyes.

Jane's attention was back on her friend. "It's okay Darcy. Bucky is … sorry. He's different … not the same. It's kinda weird, actually."

"You've talked to him?"

"Well … yeah. He's been kind of nervous."

Her eyes blazed for a second at the thought of Jane talking to Bucky, consoling fucking Bucky, feeling sorry for poor one-armed Bucky. But then Darcy realized that she was throwing a fit in front of virtual strangers and quickly changed her tune. She could talk to Jane about it later, calmly.

_Get a grip on yourself, Lewis. Center ... she's only doing it for the medical experience._

Darcy plopped down on the couch and shrugged. "Fine. It's cool. Fucky, I mean … Bucky, is gonna be in town to get a new arm. I'm sure he misses his old one. He felt up a lot of women with that arm … while he was dating me."

Jane sat down as well, looking sympathetic. "Yeah, I'm sure there's a lot of women in Brooklyn, along with the other four boroughs of New York, and the whole Eastern Seaboard, who miss that arm too. That arm was legendary."

"Yeah, I mean, it does have to suck, poor Buck. Can you imagine now? He was left-handed … I don't think the ladies are gonna like a piece of metal all up in there … it'll be just like going to the gynecologist. I mean, ouch. I have to cross my legs just thinking about it."

Jane nodded. "Hm. Yeah, there never was much of a difference between Bucky and a speculum. You'd always look at both of them and think ... damn, that thing has been inside of a lot of women. Now it'll just be more literal."

Thor made a choking sound. Loki had a hand covering his mouth.

"True dat," Darcy said, nodding, keeping a straight face.

"Hey Darcy," Jane said, calmly.

"Yeah?'

"Why did the one-armed man cross the road?"

Darcy looked up at her, with a raised eyebrow. "Why."

"To get to the second-hand shop."

Darcy blinked at her friend, wide-eyed. "Jane. Fucky, I mean, Bucky is a war hero. He stood up against tyranny and shit. We shouldn't be talking like this."

Jane looked down. "I know," she said, softly. "He fought for this country's freedom."

Both Thor and Loki looked as if they were about to implode.

"Hey Jane," Darcy said.

"Yeah?"

"How do you get a one-armed man out of a tree?"

"How."

"Wave at him."

The girls could only hold the game for about two seconds longer, until they exploded with laughter. It finally gave the guys permission to do so as well, which was a relief, since they'd been pressing their lips together for what seemed like ages, trying to understand what was going on.

Darcy looked up and finally took notice of Loki. His laughter was unforced, genuine, and accompanied by smiles that reached his eyes, which seemed to have been brightened somehow. She could tell that he wasn't thinking about anything, wasn't weighed down. He was just letting himself go … letting himself laugh. She thought she might see a person in there that she could like. _Maybe_.

"The two of you are actually very terrible," Loki said, grinning.

"Yes," Thor said, still chuckling. "I have trouble understanding when the two of you are being serious."

"Sorry, we have a sick sense of humor sometimes," Jane said. "It's something we've done since we were little … trying to find the humor in any situation."

Darcy shrugged. "Yeah. Sometimes you just have to laugh. If you don't want to go off the deep end, there's nothing else you can really do."

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So Bucky was a dirty cheating cheater in this story, and that's why Jane and Darcy are talking the way they are. They truly mean no offense to war heros or people with one arm.
> 
> Also, here is what Steve Rogers looks like in this beautiful AU world, i.e., HAWT. 
> 
>  
> 
> Next up: Dinner with Loki.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Darcy and Loki discover some things about each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright. I said I'd post this tonight if THE Ohio State Buckeyes beat Michigan today ... and they did. So here we go. You can thank the Buckeyes for this.
> 
> This chapter is a bit longer ... and I'm now terribly worried about shit. I'm really so floored by the reception it's getting and I treasure each and every one of your comments. Thank you so much. And I have a lot of funny things planned (along with the wink wink nudge nudge stuff), but this is more of a transitional chapter. With some exposition, and setting a few things up. I don't even know if I can top the "Fucky" "Bucky" thing. Sigh. I can't wait to introduce him into this story ... lol. I'm so evil.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

_Do you ever feel certain that things are finally going your way? That things are actually getting better? And then something reminds you ... you're not. You're not better. At all ..._

Loki wasn't exactly sure what he should be doing, and Thor wasn't being much help. From the time Darcy walked into the house there was tension in the room, but with the way that she interacted with Jane, he wasn't sure if they were angry or if they were joking, or some strange combination of the two. It was obvious that the girls spoke their own language, and understood each other's subtle nuances in ways that took growing up with someone to pick up on. In ways, he'd had that with Thor … and in ways, he missed their seamless banter. In other ways, he felt that things were far too gone. All in the past.

In truth, Loki had no idea why he was even there. After leaving Bruce's place, he'd gone back to his parents house and walked straight to the rear entrance, where his old room was situated in an isolated corner, closer to the kitchen, and away from the other family rooms upstairs. At the time, when he picked it out, he hadn't realized what an exact metaphor that would turn out to be. He'd sat on the bed and seriously contemplated going back to New York, instead of going upstairs to finally visit with his father.

Thor had, of course, traveled immediately after their father's heart attack, his second now. Loki would have been on a plane from London as well, except for the crippling fear of being back at Asgardia. The last time he'd been in town had been disastrous and had threatened to undo everything. He couldn't let that happen. And then Thor had called to say their father was alright for now, but his doctors had ordered him to be on very strict bed rest, as he would need a quadruple bypass. Loki should come for that. Father would need their help.

Okay, he'd thought. Okay. He'd have a few weeks to get into a proper mind-set, two weeks to get everything in check … he could do it. Spend a few days in New York to get used to the idea of being back in America. Have a few meetings with Coulson and his editor. Get some things in line.

But then as soon as he steps off the plane, it all goes to hell, and he'd ended up on the front page of a popular blog … _sort of_. A joke. It was all a joke.

Same old story.

He'd been browsing flights on his phone when she'd texted.

" _Hey, this is Darcy. I got your number from Thor. Me and Jane need help moving, and you're the only other dude I know in this town. Want to help? I'll make dinner_."

As if someone else was writing, he'd responded immediately.

" _And what would be on the menu for this dinner? A meal inspired by Mussolini? Vladimir Lenin? Genghis Khan_?"

" _Nah. No good famous paintings of any of those guys. Do you want to come or not_?"

He'd stared at his phone for a few minutes. Where had this come from? Did she feel remorse for writing that post? Was she coerced? Did she really want him to come?

Perhaps she just didn't know anyone else … and all of Jane's friends were doctors and therefore, busy.

But putting all that aside, helping Thor and his new woman-friend, or whatever she was, would help to further put off the inevitable. He was, at that point, too tired to make the trek upstairs ... so he sank down on his old comfortable bed, and fell asleep. He didn't wake up until the next day, to Thor pounding on his door, saying it was time to go.

And for several hours it had just been the three of them, moving furniture out of Jane's sad house, and into a rented moving van. Physical exertion was always a good way to put things out of one's mind, especially when given a set of problems to solve, like how to get the girl's enormous ugly couch out of the rather narrow front door.

But then moving the stuff into the new house reminded him why he hated helping people move. The house was one of the nicer places located on top of the big hill, which was once reserved for professors in the decades previous. After awhile, students had begun to rent them, as the faculty moved to even nicer houses out past the town, and away from party-central. Loki could tell that it had once been a grand house, until students had gotten ahold of it … painted it a comical shade of purple. It was certainly far nicer than Jane's old house, but it also had many steps going up a walk, to even more steps going up to the front porch, these much steeper. Getting Jane's sad furniture inside was seriously hard labor, and the promise of dinner later didn't exactly seem to add up. At least Thor would be getting something a little more … _personal_ , for his efforts. Probably. Loki decided to hate Thor for the day.

The house itself had two vast floors, five bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an attic on a third floor that could probably be turned into a sixth bedroom. Darcy must not have had much furniture herself, because as he walked inside, every sound made an echo, as if the place was still empty. It was a lot of space for just two people.

Jane had been noticeably giddy, walking around, telling them where things should go … saying that the first floor would be hers, the second would be Darcy's. There was enough room for both of them to have offices, and Darcy a studio. But then she stopped abruptly in the back room … and after several expletives he hadn't known she was capable of, the three of them stood in front of a horribly constructed Bob Marley mural that took up half a wall.

"Darcy said that a bunch of hippies lived here before us. She keeps finding stuff like this … I kinda thought she was kidding … but uh, apparently she wasn't."

"Apparently not," Loki said, and they'd stood there looking at it, as if they were in the MoMA staring at a Picasso, trying to find the meaning in it all.

And then they'd _finally_ gotten all the furniture in … Loki and Thor were placing the final piece, the damn couch, and Darcy walked in, fire in her eyes.

He'd been relieved to see that the fire wasn't directed at him this time … but what followed was all kinds of peculiar. He wasn't sure if he was watching a fight or a well-orchestrated play, a drama … no, a comedy.

Thor sat down, so Loki followed suit, their eyes glued to the girls ... even though they weren't sure if they should stay … leave? Walk into another room?

"Stop stalling, Foster! Steve fucking Rogers is in my program. How have I not heard about this? And you can't stand there and tell me that you didn't know about Fucky! I mean, Bucky!" Darcy had her hands on her hips, all attention on her friend, as if he and Thor were not in the room.

Jane sighed. "I was going to tell you."

"When?"

Something shifted, as if Jane finally decided to acknowledge what Darcy was talking about.

"Well … you've only been here a few days, and between our foray into the Italian language with Loki here," Jane turned and pointed at him … _shit_. He got out his phone and decided it would be a grand time to check his email.

But then she kept talking. "And the whole distraction of packing up all my shit … I haven't had a lot of time to gently tell you that your one-armed ex-boyfriend was going to be having some experimental Luke Skywalker shit done to him! Okay?"

He looked up, wide-eyed. Whatever he expected to come out of her mouth, it certainly wasn't that. Loki looked over to his brother and they briefly exchanged glances. Thor gave a slight shrug of the shoulders. They stayed frozen where they sat.

"Luke Skywalker shit?"

"Okay, you're right. Wrong side … Darth Vader shit."

 _Star Wars references_? Loki looked at his brother again. He'd found a woman that understood _Star Wars_ references, and actually used them in casual conversation ... and arguments, apparently. He decided to hate him again for about the tenth time that day.

"Darce … I'm sorry, I just wanted to wait a little while to tell you … find the right moment. If you would have found out about Bucky, you wouldn't have come here, you would have went to Yale instead."

Loki's mind wandered for several seconds … mainly pondering the name "Bucky". Who named their child "Bucky" these days? It sounded like something given to a farm boy around the turn of the previous century … but apparently it was the name of someone from Darcy's past.

"Whatever Jane. You know full well that wherever Steve goes, Fucky … I mean, Bucky goes."

He looked up, his attention back on the argument. Darcy couldn't seem to stop herself from calling the poor sap "Fucky." He was momentarily relieved that "Loki" didn't rhyme with anything vulgar.

"Darcy. He's only going to be here because of Dr. Banner and Mr. Stark. They're brilliant and they're both based here, they'll be working on him."

Finally, something he recognized. "Bruce Banner?" Loki asked.

Jane turned around, her demeanor completely changed for a moment. "Yeah. You know Dr. Banner? He's like … my hero."

Loki couldn't help but laugh a little. She said the name "Dr. Banner" as if she were a 13 year old girl talking about one of the members of One Direction. He'd be ringing Bruce up about this as soon as he got home.

"He's an old family friend," Loki said. "Thor, did you know that Bruce is the lady's superhero?"

Thor actually looked a little put out. "Shut up, Loki," he said quietly … one of his favorite things to say to his little brother.

He couldn't help but smile. Thor's new girlfriend didn't seem like she cared about dating a football player … her hero was a world-renown doctor. Loki wasn't sure if he should feel sorry for him or hate him even more … he decided to go with hatred.

When he looked back over at the girls, Darcy had sat herself down at the other end of the couch from Thor. "Fine. It's cool. Fucky, I mean … Bucky, is gonna be in town to get a new arm. I'm sure he misses his old one. He felt up a lot of women with that arm … while he was dating me."

 _So the man in question had cheated on this gorgeous creature … ahem_ , girl.

Jane sat down next to her. "Yeah, I'm sure there's a lot of women in Brooklyn, along with the other four boroughs of New York, and the whole Eastern Seaboard, who miss that arm too. That arm was legendary."

_So, a serial cheater. Bastard._

"Yeah, I mean, it does have to suck, poor Buck. Can you imagine now? He was left-handed … I don't think the ladies are gonna like a piece of metal all up in there … it'll be just like going to the gynecologist. I mean, ouch. I have to cross my legs just thinking about it."

_Okay, this is getting strange. Their row has obviously turned into something else._

"Hm. Yeah, there never was much of a difference between Bucky and a speculum. You'd always look at both of them and think ... damn, that thing has been inside of a lot of women. Now it'll just be more literal."

Thor looked like he was about ready to have a stroke from holding in his laughter, and Loki had to put his hand across his face to keep from saying or doing something they would all deem inappropriate, though he wasn't sure if these girls actually knew the meaning of the word "appropriate". He wasn't sure he'd heard women talk with such vulgarity and yet such … wit. It was obscenely attractive. How had Thor found them? Now he really hated him.

"Hey Darcy."

"Yeah?'

"Why did the one-armed man cross the road?"

"Why."

"To get to the second-hand shop."

_Who were these women? WHO WERE THESE WOMEN?_

"Jane. Fucky, I mean, Bucky is a war hero. He stood up against tyranny and shit. We shouldn't be talking like this."

"I know," she said, softly. "He fought for this country's freedom."

Loki looked at his brother, who looked back at him, his blue eyes about as wide as he'd ever seen them. They were both fighting back laughter, and yet, both extremely confused and uncomfortable. Should they be laughing about this unfortunate one-armed cheating American war hero?

"Hey Jane."

"Yeah?"

"How do you get a one-armed man out of a tree?"

"How."

"Wave at him."

Their deadpan delivery made it so that he couldn't hold it in any longer, which was good because the girls finally erupted into laughter … and gave Thor the go-ahead to do the same, so as to not have a heart attack from holding it all in.

"The two of you are actually very terrible," he said, after laughing harder than he had in a long time.

"Yes," Thor said, still shaking, and who almost had tears in his eyes. "I have trouble understanding when the two of you are being serious."

"Sorry, we have a sick sense of humor sometimes," Jane said. "It's something we've done since we were little … trying to find the humor in any situation."

Darcy shrugged. "Yeah. Sometimes you just have to laugh. If you don't want to go off the deep end, there's nothing else you can really do."

Loki took a deep breath and gave her a long look. Was it possible to fall in love this quick? This woman was … evil, in the best sense. If he wasn't careful, he would become infatuated with this woman, who at this point, didn't think very much of him. _What could I do to remedy that_?

Then he realized that Darcy was smiling at him, noticing him for the first time since she'd walked in the room.

Alas, Jane stole her attention. "But really, Darcy ... he's so different. Think about talking to him before he goes into surgery. It's really dangerous."

The smile was gone from Darcy's face. "After everything he did ... and now he's a war hero who lost an arm, and _I'M_ the asshole now, if I don't go see him."

Jane shrugged. "I know. I'm sorry. It's just such an amazing opportunity ... the procedure will be the first of its kind. Historical. And I happen to know the guy getting operated on ... and I really want to work with Dr. Banner, I mean ... he's just so. _Wow_."

Loki looked over to Thor at her mention of Bruce again ... he didn't look happy. Loki was internally laughing.

Darcy slapped her hand on Jane's thigh. "I told you, it's cool. It's just, you know I don't like surprises. Now, if Donald Blake ever comes to town and does some crazy art installation that will one day be famous, I fully expect you to be understanding in my working with him, and talking to him." She smiled sweetly over to her.

Jane looked a little sick. "Well, when you put it like that ... I do seem like a bit of a back-stabbing heinous bitch."

"Who's Blake?" Thor asked.

She all of a sudden got on her feet and clapped her hands. "Whelp! We're gonna finish the unpacking. Do you still want to do dinner?"

"Of course!" Darcy stood up and started walking in the direction of the kitchen. "Give me about an hour," she called out.

The last thing Loki wanted to do was further help in the whole moving process.

"Does she need help?" he asked Jane. He'd much rather help to chop an onion, then carry anymore boxes.

She held up a hand. "Just wait a second … if she plays rap or R&B on her iHome, go ahead … but if she plays speed metal, definitely don't go in there."

"What if she plays none of those things?"

"She plays rap when she cooks, and speed metal when she's upset. But if she's _really_ upset, she plays Mary J. Blige … if she's playing Mary J. Blige, then we should probably just go out to eat."

As if right on cue, loud music started up, floating in from the kitchen. It wasn't quite speed metal, but close. Slow speed metal.

"Pantera?"

Jane looked at him and shook her head. "Don't go in there until you hear Mos Def or Nas."

Thor stood up. "Come brother, let's get the rest of the boxes."

Loki rolled his eyes. "I hate you."

But his brother was already walking out the door.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

He was hooking up electronics, when he heard the sounds of what he thought could have been rap music coming out of the kitchen.

Loki got up and walked into the kitchen, as if being beckoned by the pied piper.

The room looked to be the only one in the house he'd seen that was fully put together. You could tell that she cared a lot about her kitchen. She stood at the stove, wearing boots and leggings … an over-sized black shirt made to look like a dress, and a wide belt at her waist, accentuating the most glorious curves he'd seen in a long time. She looked different than she had when they met previously … she looked lovely either way, but today she looked like a professional. A professional artist.

"What is this?" he asked, nodding to the iHome on the kitchen table.

She looked up from the sauce she was stirring, and it wasn't a hostile look. _Progress_.

"Kid Cudi," she said.

Sounded like a rap artist to him. Hopefully it was safe to proceed.

"Do you need help? Thor and Jane took the moving van back to the rental place."

She furrowed her finely groomed brows. "Can you chiffonade some basil?"

Loki smiled. She was testing his cooking knowledge. "Of course," he said.

She pointed to a cutting board she had set up on the counter, with a chef's knife and a stack of basil leaves. He walked over, rolled the leaves up, and expertly started slicing, creating long thin green strips.

Darcy looked on in approval and they stood for a few minutes, not saying anything.

"Loki," she said, breaking the silence. He looked up.

"I'm sorry about that post I wrote."

For a moment all thoughts left his mind, and he didn't know what to say. People didn't tend to apologize to him.

He smiled and looked back down at the basil. "I deserved it."

She laughed. "You kind of did. But something I've learned in the few years I've been doing my blog, is not to rush. It was impulsive. If I had waited a day, I probably would have cooled off, and I wouldn't have posted it. So … I'm sorry for that."

"I understand being impulsive."

Darcy shook her head slightly and grinned. "I'm sure you do."

Finishing his task, he set down the knife and broke up the chopped basil with his fingers. "Why do you apologize? You don't need to."

She walked over to the cabinet to grab some plates and stood there for a second, staring inside. "Because … neither one of us went into that meeting, or whatever it was, with the right attitude. And I've suddenly been reminded of what a _real_ asshole is. Now, enough about all that. Come here, look at this." She waved him over.

Loki came up behind her and looked to where she was pointing. On the second shelf, was a small statue of a seated Hindu goddess with several small bowls sitting around it. Darcy took one off the shelf, it was filled with what looked like rice.

"I keep finding this stuff everywhere. The landlord wanted to rent it fast, and I told him not to worry about cleaning the place with a fine-tooth comb, or painting the house back to white. I told him that I'd take care of it … but that was before I kept running into gods and goddesses in the house," she giggled. "I'm half afraid to take these things down … I mean, would that be bad luck? And what is this? A rice offering?" She held the bowl up to him. "Dude. If we cook this rice, are we gonna trip balls?"

He reached up and took the other bowls surrounding the goddess off the shelf. One was filled with lentils, the other what looked like split peas. He nodded toward the statue. "That's Annapurna. She won't mind if you throw away these offerings ... it looks like they've been here for quite some time, judging from the layer of dust on top." He walked over and spilled the bowl into the trash can.

"Annapurna?"

Loki nodded. "She gives strength and nourishment to the gods."

She laughed ... and he looked at her quizzically.

Darcy grinned. "I'm sorry, you just don't seem like the type to know all about kitchen goddesses."

"Hm. Yes, well, I spent some time in India. I've studied some of their texts."

"Ha! Like the Kama Sutra?" she looked up at him with a saucy half-smile.

He inclined his head in surprise, and couldn't help but smile back.

"All done!" The front door opened, and a few seconds later, Thor and Jane walked into the kitchen to find the two of them smiling at each other. Loki noticed his brother throwing him an impressed glance. He wished he could telepathically tell him to shut the fuck up, even though he hadn't said anything.

"Can we set the table for you?" Jane asked.

"Here, take these salad plates … the rest is already set up," Darcy said.

Loki helped her to bring wine and a huge bowl of salad into the dining room, which was just a large antique table and chairs in an empty room, with a few candles on the floor.

"Sorry about the sparseness guys. For the past few years I've kept my possessions to a minimum, so most of my stuff fits in the kitchen and my bedroom. I guess we'll have to go shopping, Jane."

As Jane sat down she ran her hands along the dark mahogany table. "Is this your grandmother's?"

"Yep. Though she wouldn't be happy that our first meal at her fancy table is one of Nonna's recipes. Now, start on the salad … I'll be back with your plates."

Jane started to serve herself, and Thor poured her a glass of wine. "Darcy's grandmothers hated each other, it was an endless source of entertainment growing up," she said.

Darcy then brought in their main course, serving Thor and Loki first, and then Jane and herself.

"Alright guys," she said as she finally sat down, cross-legged in her chair, after fussing over setting down a bowl of grated parmesan cheese and a small dish of fresh cracked black pepper. "Your salad is spinach and romaine with sliced pears, candied walnuts, and shaved parmigiano reggiano … and you've got cheese tortelloni, which is really just big tortellini ... with tomato sauce. I didn't know what you guys ate, so we're going vegetarian tonight."

"Thank you Darcy, this looks wonderful," Thor said.

"You're welcome, thanks for helping with the moving … I know how much it sucks to help people move," she said, as she piled up on salad.

Jane started to eat. "Oh my god, I've missed your cooking. I'm about to gain 10 pounds, hope you don't mind," she said while grinning at Thor.

"The more to love!" Darcy said, as she raised her wine glass.

"My sentiments exactly," Thor said, as he stuffed pasta in his mouth.

Everyone ate in silence for a few minutes. Loki was a bit blown away by the salad. Usually salad that Americans made at their houses consisted of soggy iceberg lettuce from a bag, a few dry croutons, and a bottle of ranch dressing. This salad had balance and flavor, with a vinaigrette that Darcy had obviously made herself. And then he tried her pasta …

It did not taste like it came frozen out of a bag. It tasted like it came out of a top-rated restaurant.

After his first bite, he had to ask. "Darcy, did you make this pasta yourself?"

She looked over at him after taking a gulp of wine. "Yep."

"You rolled your own pasta?"

She smiled. "Ha! No … I don't like you that much … _yet._ I used wonton wrappers. It works in a pinch."

Thor swallowed a big bite. "In a pinch, she says. This is quite good Darcy, I'm wondering what in the world you'd serve if you spent more than an hour in the kitchen."

"I told you guys she was internet famous … there's kind of a reason for that," Jane said, loving her food, obviously glad to be eating something other than cold pizza for dinner.

Loki finished another bite. "And you made this sauce? In an hour? I'm … impressed."

Darcy laughed. "I didn't stew vegetables and slave over the stove all day. I made it out of a can of San Marzano tomatoes."

"That's not all that's in here," Loki said, after licking sauce off his fork.

"No. But I'm not telling you all my secrets. You haven't even bought me dinner yet," she said.

Loki blushed slightly at the implication. Somehow, he'd escaped this girl's ire.

"So Loki," Jane said, breaking him from his thoughts. "Thor said you're working on a new book?"

"Em. Yes. It's going very slow at the moment."

"What kind of book?" Darcy asked.

He blinked, not completely comfortable talking about it yet. "It's a memoir."

"Mem-wah?" Darcy giggled, making fun of his proper pronunciation of the word.

"Memoir …" he tried to say, again.

"Mem-RAWR?"

"No. Mem-WAR, Darcy," Jane jumped in.

"Muah-Muah?" she was outright laughing now.

"Meow-Meow," Jane added, also starting to laugh.

"Rawr," Darcy said, making a clawing motion at Jane.

Loki sighed. "I'm sorry that I even attempt to answer your questions."

Darcy gave him a look. "Loki … we're kind of deranged, and we haven't been around each other in awhile. Don't take anything we do personally."

"Yes Loki, I think they know what a memoir is," Thor said.

Loki smiled. "Yes, I'm sorry," he said sardonically. "I'm just so used to the women that you find thinking that _The Hunger Games_ is a diet book. It's going to take me a minute to get used to these intelligent creatures."

Darcy laughed at that. "Wait … _The Hunger Games_ isn't a diet book?"

"Yeah, I definitely thought that _Catching Fire_ was a how-to book about cooking poultry," Jane said, nodding.

"Oh, it totally was. A Capitol delicacy … _Mockingjay_."

Loki set his fork down and put his head in his hands, while Thor laughed. "I think you've met your match, brother." He reached over and slapped him on the shoulder. And for the twentieth time that day, Loki decided that he hated him.

"Darcy," his brother said. "You never did tell me why you turned down those book deals."

Loki looked back up. _Book deals_?

She suddenly lost her smile. "I told you, all the content that would be in a book is already up on my site."

"You've had book offers?" Loki asked, bewildered as to who would turn down a book offer.

Darcy shrugged. "A couple."

"Who?"

"The big cookbook publishers," she said, as if it was no big deal.

"But it could be quite a lucrative endeavor," Loki said, perplexed.

She looked at him, now much quieter than she had been. "I don't care about the money."

Loki tilted his head. "Okay. But setting that aside, why would you not want to have a published work? It's a record, something tangible. Web content is more like ideas floating out in the ether. You cannot touch it."

She shrugged again. "You can print it out."

"It's not the same."

She furrowed her brows. "How so? Why should I sign my life over to some publisher and put everything into a book that I've already put up on my website, and ask my readers to shell out thirty bucks on something they could easily get for free?"

Loki straightened his posture. "A book is something to hold onto. It's a tradition. It's an action, flipping through the pages, it's personal. Filled with photographs. Your fans would love to buy your book, give them as gifts, they'd love your autograph on the front page. It's something you can cherish. In the decades to come, there will be a hundred different generations of Kindles and iPads with nothing but words floating on a screen, nothing that you can hold onto, grab off of a shelf and flip though, nothing that you can pass down. Nothing that you can feel. But you would have your book, a history of a portion of your life, recorded forever. I have books given to me by my grandfather, that are priceless, as valuable to me as someone's fancy sports car is to them ... not a silly tablet, not a website. A book."

Darcy nodded slowly. "I see your point."

_What's this? She saw my point?_

He did a slight double-take at the surprise of winning an argument with this girl. "I assure you," he said … "there's nothing like opening up a book that you've written and smelling that new book smell, no creases in the spine. It's one of the best feelings out there."

She took a long sip of wine and set it down. "I believe you … but maybe after grad school. I can't concentrate on that right now. Writing a book sounds pretty involved."

"It is, but Darcy … when opportunity knocks …"

"Listen," she interrupted. "I like the way things are right now. If I turned my writing into actual work, I'm afraid that I wouldn't want to do it anymore, okay? Right now, it's a bit of fun … and maybe it'll turn into something, on down the line. But for now, I want to concentrate on painting."

Loki nodded. "Very well."

As he finished his dinner, he thought of the enigma this girl was … not wanting to be published? Ah well, at least he could rest easy knowing that she wasn't his friend only because he was a well-known author ... and the potential of a foot in the door, for a book deal. She didn't bloody want one!

As Jane finished her last bite, she looked at everyone with a big smile on her face, excited. "I know what we should do, you guys."

Darcy grinned, over her inexplicable somber feelings about her book offers. "What's that?"

"Let's go explore the attic."

"Yessssss. I still haven't worked up the nerve to go up there. I'm worried we're gonna find even more shitty paintings. Who this time … Jim Morrison? Jerry Garcia? I can't handle all that."

"I bet it's empty and we're just building this whole thing up."

"Or maybe the hippies were serial killers and stored the bodies up there."

"Um. No," Jane said, "We'd notice something like that."

Thor stood up. "It's alright. Me and Loki will go first," he said, tugging on Loki's shirt.

And so they went, like some deranged version of the Scooby Doo kids, venturing up to the top floor to check out the attic.

While walking down the second-floor hallway, Loki glanced in the room that must have been Darcy's … it already looked cozy and inviting. A quilt on the bed. An ornate rug across the hardwood floor. A replica of Botticelli's _The Birth of Venus_ on the wall. But then they kept walking to the back of the house, where some rather steep steps led up to quite a large attic.

Thor walked in first and flipped on the light. At first, it was very nice and quite large. It wasn't dingy like a normal attic, as someone had taken care of the hardwood floors … and there was a lovely Peter Pan-type window at the front.

Darcy walked to the center of the room. "It looks like a dance studio." She looked over at a few rolled up mats leaning against the wall. "Or a yoga room."

"The hippies left their yoga mats? That's sad," Jane said, walking over to them.

"They probably decided that it was best to do yoga directly on the Earth … those mats disconnect you from Gaia. Or whatever."

Jane giggled.

"Alright. I have to admit, I'm disappointed," Darcy said.

Loki looked up at the low ceiling and could faintly make out markings. "Hold on. There's black lights all along here," he said pointing to the corners where the wall met the ceiling.

He walked over to the light and turned it off, while finding the switch for the black lights. He turned it on, and all of a sudden, the room looked like they were standing in the middle of space, looking at vast galaxies.

"Dude," was all Darcy could say.

"Yeah," Jane said.

Someone, or several someones more like, had painted a detailed depiction of stars, planets, and nebulae, all in black-light paint … so you wouldn't be able to see it very well in regular light. Whoever had painted this was much more talented than the unfortunate artist who created the Bob Marley mural downstairs.

Darcy laid down on the floor and looked up … Jane followed suit. "This was so totally a tripping room."

"Yep. Yoga studio by day, drug den by night," Jane said.

Darcy sat up. "Whelp, might as well." She reached into her boot and extracted what looked like an old cigarette case. "I know Thor and Jane have careers and stuff where they get drug tested … but we're artists. What do you say, Loki. Dessert?" She took out an expertly rolled joint and held it up.

Loki opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out … and the room all of a sudden felt extremely hot. It wasn't his drug of choice, but he hadn't actually been offered anything in a very long time … and what had been a strangely enjoyable evening, quickly turned into something very unpleasant.

But then Thor slapped him on the shoulder, smiling. "Maybe some other time, Darcy. We have to get going … it's time to see to our father. We need to make sure he takes his medicine."

Loki looked at his brother, a bit stunned. He stuttered a bit, "Em. Eh, yes … Father tricks the nurse sometimes into thinking he's taken it when he really hasn't … and we have to make sure he's playing nice."

The girls stood up, and Darcy put her cigarette case away. "Okay," Jane said. "We'll walk you downstairs."

On the porch they said their goodbyes, thanking each other for helping to move, and dinner, with plans to hang out again soon ... but Loki couldn't really say much else.

As they walked out to Thor's car, his brother put his hand on his shoulder. "She doesn't know, Loki. You should tell her."

"I know. But I don't want her to ... "

His brother interrupted. "I can tell. Her and Jane both, they're good people. They're not going to care."

Loki shrugged.

They both got in Thor's car and drove away, back to the house. Thor could have stayed at Jane's, but he didn't. Thor could have let Loki stand up there in the attic and trip over his words, but he didn't.

Loki decided that he didn't hate his brother that day, after all.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: We'll meet Erik ... and he ain't what we're used to around here.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Darcy has a very crazy, strange, no good, very weird day. And Loki gets an eyeful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so stay with me here. My Erik Selvig is probably the only character that is going to be this OOC. Like, seriously OOC. I mean, he's still Swedish and he's still into science ... but he's different. Mainly because I want Jane and Darcy to have that third friend (besides Steve, who is Bucky's friend) ... and for this story, it would just be kind of creepy to have an older man in his 60's or so, hanging out with these girls with no pants on. Come to think of it, it was kinda creepy in the movie as well ... but I digress.
> 
> So when you think of this Erik ... think more like Eric Northman (no, not a vampire, just like ... a really hot dude). He's much younger and if he's hanging out in the house with no pants on, no one is complaining. It should be easy as Alexander Skarsgard is Stellan's son IRL. I promise, this will be the only major deviation ... as I know AUs are kind of hard to swallow sometimes, but stick with me ... you're gonna love it ;-)
> 
> On a side note ... I remember being very confused when they didn't just hand the role of Thor to Alexander Skarsgard ... but now? I totally have faith in Marvel's casting decisions, because damn hello Chris Hemsworth.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

_September 1st_

__

The Bride Frightened at Seeing Life Opened _, by Frida Kahlo_

_Frida Kahlo's paintings were all about symbolism. Each and every element she added was there for a reason, and represented a piece of the story she was telling._

_This painting is all about life and what creates it. The fruit is life … lush and fertile, and behind it is the virginal blonde chicana bride who looks afraid of it all … because what is this painting basically representing? Sex, baby. And lots of it._

_How many vaginas can you count? Or even just the allusion to vaginas … like the watermelon, pink, juicy, open. The fleshy papaya. The pineapple leaves … pineapple leaves don't really look like that, they're spiky and hard … these look softer, much more inviting, with sensual crevices. And I don't think we need a degree in art history to know what those bananas are representing. Avocados … nature's sexiest fruit, if you ask me … the creamy rich texture, the subtle earthy flavor. And the hairs on the coconut … I'm sure it was much more alluring to the people back in the day, who didn't automatically wax everything off …_

For the past few years now, Darcy had made the recipes from her very first post, on the anniversary of her blog's creation. Fresh tropical fruit salad with chocolate wine sauce and coconut whipped cream. Grilled watermelon with honey, lime, and chili pepper. Avocado ice cream. She wasn't sure if she wanted to do it this year, as anything having to do with sex just seemed dumb.

It had been awhile.

At the time of her first post, she'd been going through a sexual reawakening of sorts … being away from Bucky once and for all … it had allowed a little room for exploration. But for the past several months, she'd experienced a bit of a dry spell. Not that she couldn't find someone if she really wanted to … trouble was, she didn't really want to.

Darcy opened her laptop. She'd been sitting in her barely furnished office … or room that would one day be an office, once there was more inside of it other than a desk and a chair from a second-hand shop. She'd been waiting for 8 o'clock to roll around. Time to Skype with Erik. He always made her feel better.

As soon as she saw his blue eyes and perfectly sculpted blonde hair on her screen, she smiled.

"Hey sweetie," he said.

"Erik." She couldn't help but rub her eyes a little from tiredness. "It's been a crazy couple of days."

"I can see that. How's Jane?" Erik and Jane had always had a certain bond … it was the love for science thing.

"She's fine. She's Jane … she told you she's dating a football player?"

"Soccer?"

Darcy rolled her eyes and shook her head … _Europeans_.

"No. NFL. Thor Odinson … tight end."

Erik's eyes widened at the mention of Thor's name. "And never was there a better _tight end_. That lucky bitch."

"Yeah, yeah … and the lucky bitch tried to set me up with his brother."

"Wait … Loki Odinson?" A wicked grin appeared on Erik's face.

"You've heard of him?"

"Oh, honey. Of course I've heard of him. He's a wonderful writer … and fucking gorgeous."

"Yeah, he's also kind of fucking insane."

"All the best ones are. He's probably sick in bed."

She ignored that last statement. "You really think he's a good writer?"

Erik didn't hesitate to nod his head up and down profusely. "Oh yeah."

Darcy shrugged. "I think maybe he only appeals to dudes. I couldn't get into his book."

He raised an eyebrow. "I can tell you why you couldn't get into it."

"Why?"

"Because Bucky was the one who gave you that book."

Darcy put her face in her hands. "Ugh. Don't remind me." She'd forgotten. Most of the things she still associated with Bucky, she hated. His favorite band (Nirvana), his favorite food (fried chicken), his favorite book ( _A Soul Crushing Story of Utter Brilliance_ ).

"Speaking of Bucky," she said, looking up … "I've just had the best possible news ever … he'll be here, like at the university hospital in a few weeks, to receive some kind of experimental robot arm. Steve fucking Rodgers is here, in my program … and he let it slip. Jane's been keeping it a secret … and she wants to work on the project. Project Vader Arm, or some shit. She said he's all changed or something … and that I should visit with him before he goes into surgery."

Erik appeared to do a double-take. "Okay. So, Jane is dating that Viking god Thor Odinson … she's trying to set you up with his brother—who, I'm sorry honey, you totally need to get with that—little cutie Steve is there … and Bucky is coming to town? Oh, I'll be on a plane soon. Get a spare room ready, we're having a party. It's been too long since I've seen Jane and I need to get over there and knock some sense into your head."

"Sense?"

"Yes, sense … such as, stop stewing over Bucky. Don't do it Miss Celie. He ain't worth it."

Darcy giggled. Erik knew how to make her laugh. "I love it when you quote _The Color Purple_ … it's just so fucking random."

He smiled at her. "Just don't even think about feeling sorry for him … or getting back with him."

Her eyes widened. "I'm not getting back with him. There's no way. Anyway, who says that's what he wants?"

Erik gave her a look like she was being idiotic. "Please, honey. Seriously, forget about him … put it out of your mind. How did things go with Loki Odinson?"

"Eh. We didn't hit it off at first … but then I thought maybe we were getting along, but he practically ran out of here the other night after dinner, so … I don't know."

"Why did he run out?"

"Said he had to see to his sick father. That's why him and Thor are in town … they've been taking care of him."

"Hm. You should call him. I can see it on your face … you need a good deep dicking."

" _Erik_!"

He shrugged. "I call it how I see it."

"I barely know him."

"That's never stopped you before."

"Yeah … I'm just not really into casual sex anymore. It gets boring."

Erik looked at her like she was crazy.

"What? Sex is better when someone knows your body."

"Well then get out there and let someone get to know your body." He turned around to answer someone who was calling him. "Listen kid, I gotta go. I'll let you know details, but I'm definitely coming. Tell Jane she better not be working the whole damn time."

They said their goodbyes and Darcy shut her laptop. She looked at her phone … should she text Loki? Nah … he knew her number. If he wanted to hang out, he'd get ahold of her.

And it wasn't as if she liked him that much anyway.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

As the next couple of weeks went by, Darcy was bogged down in grad school, immersed in her painting studio and drawing classes. The one good thing about spending so much time in the art building, was being able to hang out with Steve again … they fell back into their friendship effortlessly, only avoiding the issue of Bucky whenever possible. And in order to see Jane, they'd started grabbing lunch in the hospital cafeteria every couple of days.

"The food isn't so bad here," Steve said, poking his plastic fork at a piece of apple pie.

"It isn't so good either," Darcy said, over a club sandwich.

"Hey, we can't all be food bloggers." Jane was absentmindedly stabbing at her salad while looking at her phone.

"What's got you so preoccupied, Foster?" Darcy had noticed that her friend's mind was off in la-la land.

Jane looked up. "Oh. Dr. Odinson had his surgery today … I'm just checking in with Thor. He's stable."

"I thought you couldn't use cell phones in hospitals."

Jane frowned. "No one actually follows that rule."

"So he's going to be okay?"

"I don't want to say that quite yet … but it's looking good. Hey, have to talked to Loki lately?"

Steve looked up from his pie and Darcy proceeded cautiously, knowing that whatever was said could possibly be relayed back to Bucky … not that it would be intentional. Steve just had a tendency to let things slip without meaning to.

"Um. We've texted a little bit. And I saw him randomly at the coffee shop last week, but that's it. We've both been pretty busy … anyway, are you still on that? I don't really see anything happening. After that dinner, he didn't seem interested."

"I don't think that's true, Darcy. Thor says he's been really busy with taking care of their dad, and he's writing that new novel."

She pushed her sandwich away. "Wait … you and Thor talk about it?"

"No! No, it's just stuff he's said … like, in passing."

"Uh-huh."

"It's just … I invited them over tonight. Get their minds off of things, you know? With their father's surgery and everything."

Darcy peered at her friend, while loudly sipping at the straw in a fun-size carton of chocolate milk. "This has ulterior motives written all over it."

Jane shrugged. "Not at all. I invited Thor over and he asked if he could bring his brother."

She squinted. "That's weird."

"Why?"

"Don't you think he'd rather be alone with you?"

"I think he just doesn't want to leave Loki alone … you know, after such a stressful day."

Steve, who had been silently finishing his pie, jumped in. "These are the guys you're dating?"

Darcy shook her head vehemently. "She's dating Thor … I'm not dating anyone."

He nodded his head. "Okay. Darcy?" Steve started fiddling with his fork even though all the food was gone.

"What's up?"

"Me and Jane wanted to talk to you …"

It suddenly felt like her whole body went up in flames. "Oh God. You should have told me to bring the Jameson if you were going to stage some kind of intervention of the Bucky variety."

Jane gave her a look. "You said you didn't like surprises … so this is us making sure you're not surprised."

Darcy, chastised, took another sip of her milk. "Okay. Thanks?"

"Bucky will be in the hospital today … he'll undergo a series of tests, and then he'll have his surgery in a couple of days," Steve said, softly.

"Alright," Darcy said, without emotion.

Jane reached out and touched Darcy's hand. "Maybe you should just like, rip the band-aid off, you know … stop thinking about it. Just go see him and get it over with, instead of stewing about it the whole time he's in town."

Steve nodded. "It's a good idea, Darcy. We'll come with you."

Darcy took a deep breath. "Maybe you're right … I'm being silly."

He reached over, put a hand on her shoulder, and squeezed. "You're not being silly. Bucky is and will always be my best friend … but even I know that this can't be easy for you."

She looked up at him, grateful that he understood. "Thank you."

"Jane! Darcy!" called a booming voice from across the cafeteria.

Thor and Loki were weaving their way through the little round tables of the cafeteria, looking tired, but in good spirits. Jane stood up and greeted her man with a kiss on the cheek, and Steve let his hand fall from Darcy's shoulder.

As Jane introduced Steve to the guys, Darcy's thoughts went every which way … feeling as if she was under water, everything going very slowly, confusing … not making any sense. She was aware that Loki was standing there, but she didn't make a fuss over him, like Jane had for Thor. It was obvious that over the past few weeks, he didn't care too much about getting to know her better.

She suddenly stood, throwing her messenger bag across her shoulder. "I'm sorry you guys, I've got somewhere I have to be … I'll see you tonight?"

Thor nodded his head. "Of course, we look forward to it. Thanks for having us over again."

Darcy looked at Loki to find that he had been looking at her curiously, with his brows together, as if he was trying to figure out a complex puzzle. Whatever, he was a weirdo. He was probably off in la-la land again over his novel. _Mem-wah_.

She turned around, heading toward the exit. "Later!" she called over her shoulder.

Darcy needed to get her mind straight.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

In order to get her thoughts to shut the fuck up, Darcy walked to the yoga studio she kept meaning to try, and dropped into a particularly brutal Ashtanga class. The teacher was the real deal, pushing them through every asana in the series and every vinyasa in between. She would also walk by, making sure everyone's alignment was correct and coaxing them deeper into the poses.

By the time class was over, Darcy felt eons better, and was holding onto that blissful jelly-like feeling that yoga left you with. Like you were made aware of every inch of your glorious body and took care of every muscle, stretched until all the tension was made to flow out of your bones.

She was slow to move out of the last pose, savasana, where you just lie flat on your back and relax everywhere, while trying to clear your mind … letting the exercise sink in. By the time she sat up, many of the other students had already rolled up their mats. Darcy wanted to thank the teacher, so she took her time, hanging back, while a cute older guy with slightly greying dark hair chatted with the woman.

She couldn't help but overhear bits of their conversation … and then her interest was really piqued when she heard a familiar name … _Loki_.

"Would you mind if I brought him to class sometime?" he asked. "I think he'd really benefit from it."

The teacher crossed her arms and looked down. "Bruce. You put me in an awkward position. On the one hand, I don't want to deny anyone … but on the other, if Clint found out, he wouldn't be happy about it."

_Bruce? Bruce … Banner?_

"I can talk to him."

The teacher nodded. "Do that.

The man put his hand on her upper arm and squeezed, in a friendly gesture. "Thanks, Natasha."

After he left, Darcy was finally able to talk to her … though she was bit nervous, like she was talking to a famous person.

"Excuse me, I just wanted to tell you that your class was awesome." She held out her hand, "I'm Darcy."

The woman smiled, and shook her hand. "Natasha. And thank you," she said with a sultry alto.

She was stunning … about as tall as Darcy, muscular but with curves, and glossy red hair pulled back in a bun.

"Thanks," Darcy said. "I really needed that. Stress has been kicking my ass lately."

"Are you new to town? I haven't seen you in class before … and I can tell that you know all of your poses."

Darcy nodded her head. "Yep. Just started grad school … I'm getting my MFA in painting."

Natasha's face lit up. "Painting? I've been wanting someone with some skill to paint a mural on that back wall over there. Would you be willing? I'd compensate you, of course."

Darcy smiled. "I'd love to! And you can compensate me with some free yoga classes?"

"Of course! Can you come by tomorrow? We can talk about it. And you can drop by my Krav Maga class."

"You teach Krav Maga?" Darcy thought she might be falling in love with this woman … a yoga/Israeli martial arts teacher? Sigh.

Natasha nodded her head. "Oh yeah, a girl has to clear her head with yoga … but she also needs to learn how to kick someone's ass if she needs to."

Darcy beamed. "That sounds like the best thing ever. I'm so totally there."

As she made to walk out of the studio with her yoga mat tucked in her arm, she turned around quickly to ask a question. "Hey, that man you were talking to earlier … was that Bruce Banner?"

"Yes, that was him." Natasha inclined her head. "Do you know him?"

"Nah. It's just my roommate … she's a med student, she totally fangirls over him."

Natasha smiled. "He has that effect on the female med students."

_He's also attaching a robot arm to my ex-boyfriend._

But she didn't say that out loud.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Darcy found herself on the floor of the hospital where Bucky was, standing in the hallway. Jane had put her name on the list of people who had clearance to visit … she just needed a push to walk into the room.

"I know that's a very interesting poster on the wall … but you've been staring at it for about twenty minutes now. Did you take too many hits off your pipe before walking in here?"

She looked over to the voice that was talking to her and shook her head out. "What? I'm sorry … I'm just kind of … working up the courage to go in there," she said, to the complete stranger.

"You know Anakin in there?" the man said, with a Hollywood smile.

She couldn't help but grin, at his snark … and at his ridiculous facial hair. He wore some kind of elaborate goatee that reminded her of the one a member of the Backstreet Boys sported back in the 90's.

"Em. Yes, I know Anakin. He's an old … friend."

"Uh-huh. I know I have to psyche myself into seeing my friends all the time. Just go in … he's had a few very painful tests today, he'll be completely stoned. He might not even remember you being here."

Darcy smiled. "Okay. Thanks."

The man gave her a sly grin. "Anytime." And he walked away.

It gave her the chutzpah she needed to walk through the door and into his room.

It looked like a state-of-the-art hospital room. Like something that belonged in a Bond movie. He was laying propped up in the bed with his eyes closed. She walked softly over to the chair next to him, and sat down.

He looked so young while he was asleep … so innocent. His hair was a lot longer, coming below his chin. It looked good on him … too good. And those perfect bee-stung lips, that made you weak in the knees when they grinned at you … and you knew you were in for it.

_Bucky Barnes._

She wondered if she should take his hand, but looked down and saw that there was no hand. At the end of the day, he was a soldier who went to battle … and when he came hom, he'd been gravely injured. Didn't he deserve a simple visit?

When she looked back up, he had opened his eyes, and they were fixed on her intensely.

"Hey," he said, his voice cracking. He struggled to sit up.

"Hey," she said, trying not to put any emotion in her voice.

"I didn't think you'd come."

"I almost didn't."

"I'm glad you did," he said, blinking several times and trying to sit up further, but winced in pain.

She instinctively got up to help him. "Do you need some more pain medication?"

He shook his head. "No. They keep trying to give it to me, but I don't need it."

Darcy raised an eyebrow. The man with the ridiculous goatee had _lied_ to her, to get her into the room. Fucker. She'd have words with him later, whoever he was.

"You should stop being Mr. Machismo and just accept the help." The nurturer inside of her was struggling to come out … always when Bucky was involved.

"No," he said. "I need to save all that for later … if it's one thing I know about those pain meds, is that once you start, you need more and more to feel any kind of effect. I'd rather take as little as possible."

She shrugged. "Alright."

He ducked his head slightly. "I thought about you all the time .. you know, when I was over there. In Afghanistan."

She closed her eyes. "Don't.

"Look. I'm just asking for forgiveness. I know I don't deserve it, and probably won't get it … but you were all I thought about. It got me through … everything."

Darcy shook her head as tears welled up in her eyes. _What kind of fuckery is this_?

"I've already forgiven you, Bucky. But that doesn't mean we can be best friends."

He nodded slowly. "I know."

Bucky reached over to his bedside table and picked up his wallet. He opened it deftly with one hand and took out a folded picture. He offered it to her.

Darcy stared at him for a few seconds, but eventually, she reached out and took it. After unfolding it, she saw that it was a worn photograph of the two of them … you could barely even make out the image anymore. She recognized it though. It was a picture taken several years back, on New Years Eve, on a frigid New York evening. They were kissing at midnight, Darcy on the verge of hysterical laughter at Bucky, who was trying to get under all her layers of clothing to tickle her.

Why on Earth he was showing this to her … she didn't know.

_He's a sadist. Has to be a fucking sadist._

"I had that with me … through everything."

She looked up at him, exasperated, with her brows furrowed. "Why?"

He shrugged as he looked down, looking sad. Defeated. "You know … like that Joni Mitchell song. 'You don't know what you got till …'"

"It's gone."

She folded the picture back up and set it on the bed next to him. "I have to go," Darcy said, as she stood up. It was getting late and she needed to be alone.

Bucky reached out his hand and she took it … it was an involuntary action … as if years of taking his hand had conditioned her to accept it without question, like the past few years of separation never happened.

"Will you come back?" he asked.

His hand was familiar. Big. Strong. Calloused. Warm. She dropped it.

"I don't know." Darcy turned around to leave.

_Come on, Lewis, don't be a total cunt to him. He has one arm. He carried that picture with him in the desert for nearly three years._

It was the little inner voice that had always forgiven him, that always believed him.

She looked at him one last time before leaving. "I like your hair that way. Good luck with the robot arm and everything. Tell the guy with the stupid goatee that he's a total dick."

Darcy could hear him chuckle as she left the room.

She always could make him laugh.

That's what she was good for. _A laugh_.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

She walked into the house to find Jane frantically putting together the living room, cleaning it for guests.

_Oh, fuck. I forgot._

"I just got home from the hospital," she said, as she folded up a blanket that had been crumpled up on one side of the couch.

She took one look at Darcy and knew. "You went to see him."

Darcy could only nod in response.

Jane gave her a sympathetic look. "He's different. Did you notice?"

"Yeah. The Bucky spark is gone … he just looks … sad."

Jane nodded. "I know."

Darcy tilted her head. "He still knows how to fuck with a girl's head though, I'll give him that."

Jane put the blanket she was holding down on the couch, shaking her head. "I don't think he's fucking with your head this time. I think something happened to him … it's like someone went into his brain and played around."

"Maybe."

"Give yourself some time."

Darcy set down all her stuff. "Listen, I was gonna make dinner … but I think I need to paint for a little while, get my head straight. Maybe just get a pizza? I'll be down in a little while."

Jane smiled. "Totally. I'm really good at ordering pizza."

"When will they be here?"

"Bout an hour."

"Are we watching a movie?"

"Yep! Thor is bringing one over."

Darcy breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. I'm glad Thor is picking it out … if we let Loki do it, he'd probably bring over some cerebral boring-ass Jim Jarmusch bullshit."

Jane grinned. "Nah. He'd probably bring some classic like _Lawrence of Arabia_ or _The Lion in Winter,_ to school us on what a proper film should be."

Darcy giggled. "We should make Loki watch a Nic Cage marathon. All his best films … _Bangkok Dangerous_ , _Ghost Rider_ … _Drive Angry_."

"No way man, you know you can't watch _Drive Angry_ unless it's in 3D."

Darcy smiled at her friend. "I love you, Foster. We understand each other … through Nicolas Cage movies."

Jane laughed. "Hey, Lewis … who am I?" She flung her hair over one shoulder and dramatically ran her hand through it.

"Nicolas Cage in _Con Air_ ," Darcy said. "Too easy."

After several more Nic Cage impressions, including one where Darcy was acting like John Travolta acting like Nic Cage in Face/Off, she went upstairs to paint … and to think on all the things that happened that day … mainly Bucky things.

She walked into her home studio where her easel was set up, with a table full of paints and brushes. Darcy had stretched several canvases the week prior and was working on the first painting in a series. She sat on her little stool and got to work, dressed in the comfy overalls she wore when she painted at home … and as it had been pretty hot upstairs lately, the air conditioning working extra hard in the early September heat, she didn't wear a shirt with her overalls. It was a common thing for her to do, since it was usually just her in her studio.

She put on Mary J. Blige … _loud_.

As she put brush to canvas, the events of the day passed through her mind.

 _Bucky. Fucky. Bucky. Fucky._ Angry brush strokes.

 _Fuckwit._ Angrier brush strokes.

 _Dude with goatee. Ass-wipe._ Erratic brush strokes.

 _The picture he carried in the desert._ Mildly softer strokes.

 _The sound of his laughter as she walked out the door_. Anemic brush strokes.

 _Fucking Fucky._ She stopped completely after awhile, staring at the canvas, zoned out, straddling her chair. The ponytail she'd had her hair in started to feel as if it was pulling at her scalp, so she took it out, letting it all fall below her shoulder blades.

Darcy must have lost track of the time. She heard the door creak open, and she looked behind her to see Loki standing in the doorway. He was wearing a snug black v-neck and jeans. His hair was curiously down, soft around his face. She hadn't seen it that way before ... usually he pulled it back. He nervously pushed some of it behind his ear.

He looked as if someone had shocked him, as it seemed to take him a few seconds to be able to speak. "Em. I'm sorry to interrupt … I was just looking for the … loo? The one downstairs is currently occupied," he said, as he seemed to wince slightly, as if embarrassed.

She was not in the mood for him. Not in the mood for fuckwits. Insanely good-looking or no. This asshole hadn't texted more than five sentences to her in two weeks, and they'd maybe had a handful of awkward conversations, after what she thought had been a decent evening … after making plans to hang out again. And then nothing.

Darcy slowly stood up and faced him. His eyes widened at the sight of her.

She raised an eyebrow at him and slinked over to the door … she knew he was catching quite a view, as she was wearing absolutely nothing underneath her overalls. He could probably make out her breasts perfectly, with only her nipples being covered by the straps.

She didn't give a shit. Fuck him. They were real and they were spectacular … and he didn't get to touch.

Darcy pointed with her finger in the direction of her bathroom, though it didn't seem to register with him, as he looked completely unfocused. She then put her finger on the door.

Loki looked like he was practically drowning. _Good_.

The expression on her face probably looked evil as fuck, as she was half grinning at him with a fire in her eyes. She was tired of asshole dudes for the day … for the week, the month, the year.

She pushed on the door and shut it in his face.

"Hot damn," she said to herself.

The intensity in his eyes … the blind lust she saw in them. She could tell he tried … he _tried_ to keep his eyes on her face, but he couldn't.

That look made her nipples harden … had left a warm glowy feeling in her lower regions. Something she hadn't felt in awhile.

Darcy was able to return to her painting … this time the brush strokes were more fluid. Effortless. Gliding across the canvas. Almost sensual. A certain ex-boyfriend had completely left her mind. She turned off the Mary J. Blige and started playing The Weeknd.

After about a half an hour, she was satisfied with her work. She changed into something more appropriate, and headed down the stairs to see what movie Thor had brought over.

As she reached the bottom of the steps, she bent over with laughter at the sound of Nic Cage's voice.

_Moonstruck._

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we met a few more people! Let me know what you think ;-)
> 
> Next up: Loki develops a fetish for overalls, as he imagines unhitching the straps over and over again ... which is new.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Loki has some very strange conversations ... about overalls, and other things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay ... so, I'm putting this chapter up a little early ... so if it's not edited exactly perfectly, sorry bout that. But I wanted to put it up, because I'll prob be distracted for the next few days. And I'm JUST SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW! (every Buckeye fan is happy right now, but I digress)
> 
> But yeah, tomorrow is my birthday ... and I'm planning on drinking lots of wine and going to look at Christmas lights in celebration ;-)
> 
> And I also want to say, WOW YOU GUYS, I'm all verklempt. Like, I looked on here and I have like 200 kudos and this weird little fic has only been up for a few weeks. I'm floored ... just thank you. Y'all are so effing awesome. And I hope that I can continue to entertain you :-D

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

_I thought myself invincible at the time. I could do it all on my own … I just needed a place in this world. A warm place. That's what heroin is essentially … a warm place. A euphoric solace. But it's not real. I could have done it. I could have made it real. I begged my father to let me in, like a vampire who needed an invitation. Let me in._

" _No, Loki." ..._

After leaving the girls' new house and returning home, Thor went to the library to take a call with Coulson, and Loki made good on his word. He would see to his father.

When he entered his room he nodded to the nurse, who was sitting in a chair reading. He could take it from here. His father was laying in his bed, more grey and more frail than he'd ever seen him, surrounded by one of his mother's quilts. There were bottles of pills on the bedside table … a walker placed where he could reach it.

Loki wasn't sure how long he sat there, thinking about nothing in particular. The girl. The tomato sauce. Her lovely curves. His mother would say that she was well-rounded … because his mother had been a bit of a sly one, loving double entendres, winking at secret jokes. The girl seemed to be talented at many things … and had a great ass. Well-rounded indeed.

"Loki."

He looked up to find his father awake.

"You've come." His voice was weak but still held that classic Dr. Odinson regal quality.

Loki inclined his head. "Did you think I wouldn't?"

"No. I knew you'd come. If not for me, then for your mother."

Loki shrugged.

"I hear you've been here for a few days."

"I needed some time."

His father nodded. "You look good."

Loki smirked in response … the old man didn't look quite as good.

"It's okay," Dr. Odinson said, as if reading his mind. "You can say it."

"You've looked better."

"Where is Thor?"

 _Of course_. Ask for the good son, not three sentences into their first conversation in nearly a year.

Loki stood. "It's been nice talking to you, Father." He turned and walked toward the door.

"Loki."

"No," he said, without looking back. "I'll get Thor."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Now that he'd gotten the initial meeting over with, Loki did feel a weight lift off his shoulders … even if it was the same old story. At least it was a familiar one.

He walked into the library to find Thor still on the phone. "Father wants to see you," Loki said.

His brother held up a hand as if to say hang on a minute. "No, Coulson! I've made my decision."

Thor then listened to whatever it was Coulson had to say, nodding his head while pacing around the room. Loki sat down at the desk and folded his hands in his lap, watching as Thor's face got redder and redder, becoming more and more angry.

"I don't care if I'm at my peak and they might not take me back next year … I'm taking this season off to take care of Father … I'm not going to leave him here alone … you only have _one_ father, I've had several good seasons and I'll probably have several more."

Loki raised an eyebrow. A lot of people would not be happy about this. A lot of money would be lost if Thor took a year off.

Thor became even redder. "Well you tell the GM that if Michael Vick can kill dogs, go to jail, and then come back to football … if Ray Rice can beat the shit out of his wife and still be eligible ...if Ben Roethlisberger can rape women and still be the star quarterback of the fucking Steelers, then I CAN TAKE A YEAR OFF TO TAKE CARE OF MY SICK FATHER!"

He hung up, sliding his finger across the phone. "GODDAMNIT, I miss being able to slam a phone down. Blast these mobile phones!"

Loki tilted his head in amusement. "You make sure to tell that phone how you feel," he said, with a sardonic smile.

His brother glared at him. "Fucking hell, Loki. Would you please go and get your dick sucked so you can stop being such a prick all the time."

Loki blinked. Well, that was a bit surprising. "Em. I'll take that under advisement … but I just came down here to tell you that father requests your presence."

Thor sighed heavily. "Can you not handle giving Father his medicine this one time?"

Loki narrowed his eyes. "He asked for _you_."

Thor walked up to the desk and leaned over, directly in Loki's face. "Do not turn these weeks we must endure, taking care of father, into one big tally of your imagined slights. Both of us are making sacrifices."

They stared at each other for several seconds. "One step forward, two steps back … right, Loki? I can see the writing on the wall. All of your good work today … the girl liked you. And what are you about to do?"

Loki said nothing.

Thor turned around and walked through the doorway. "I'll have Coulson send you a fleshlight."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Over the next two weeks, Loki spent much of his time at the house, either in his room writing … or upstairs sitting with his father while he slept. He rarely stayed after he woke … just administered his meds and left the room. It seemed to be a comfortable routine for the both of them.

Thor's prediction turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Whenever Loki scrolled through his contacts on his phone, and landed on Darcy's number, his mind went blank ... and he had no idea what to say, what to text. There were a few sentences that made it through, and they only made him shake his head and regret sending them … what must she think of him?

" _What kind of San Marzano tomatoes did you use for your tomato sauce?"_

It was the only thing he could think to ask. She'd sent him back a picture of the can she used … no further conversation needed.

A few days after that, she'd sent a text that made it seem as if she perhaps wanted to see a film.

" _Do you like movies about surgically enhanced raccoons and talking trees?"_

He stared at the message for a good while trying to make out what it could possibly mean. Eventually, he wrote her back.

" _I can't imagine that I would. But they are showing a limited run of_ Spartacus _at the theatre in town._ "

She had only responded with ellipses.

"..."

Perhaps she didn't like Stanley Kubrick movies?

And then there was the coffee shop run-in. He'd stopped by to get a large latte to go, and had seen someone he'd rather not talk to in the back corner, on her laptop. Darcy happened to be there and had walked up behind him … tapped him on the shoulder.

She smiled, looked up at him, as if she was genuinely happy to run into him. "Hey! How are you?"

He probably only had about ten seconds before the unmentionable lifted her eyes and spotted him.

Loki plastered an affable expression on his face. "I am well! I'm sorry Darcy, I really must go. I'm late for a meeting." He'd clasped her hand quickly before picking up his latte and high-tailing it out of there.

The gods would not give him a break.

And the thing was … he liked her. He would have most definitely asked her out properly and made concrete plans after their dinner, had he not clammed up at the sight of a blasted joint. In the grand scheme of things, it didn't even bother him. It was just a bit of seriously uncomfortable deja vu. A woman asking him … "what do you say, Loki?"

The more he thought about it, the more he became sure … once she knew, she wouldn't want anything to do with him. That was one devil on one shoulder … on the other, was Thor's voice … "I can tell. Her and Jane both, they're good people. They're not going to care." Two warring devils.

To further the stress of it all, the days leading up to his father's surgery was taxing. Thor had gradually let go of his anger, but he walked around the house in a saddened state. Loki could tell that it pained him to sit the season out. Thor lived for football, and his team was slated to have a very good year. He found that he couldn't watch ESPN twenty-four hours a day like he used to, so he spent a lot of time at the gym … or with Clint, his old college teammate, when Jane was working. Which was most of the time. So in a silent gesture of brotherly camaraderie, Loki had offered to take care of their father much of the time … something that Thor appreciated, and which made their hardened feelings toward one another a tad softer. Thor was trying … Loki needed to at least make an attempt.

After sitting in the hospital waiting room for several hours during the operation, the doctors came in to say their father was out of surgery, and doing well. Stable. The brothers had been so relieved just to be able to leave the cardiac wing, after hours of sitting around, that they decided to go down to the cafeteria for some coffee … or jello, or whatever hospital cafeterias served these days.

Thor instantly spotted Jane.

"Jane! Darcy!"

Loki's face lit up … this was his chance. It had been a good day. But as he weaved through the tables, the mood soured as he saw a young man with his hand on Darcy's shoulder, in what looked like an intimate gesture. She looked terribly distracted when she looked up to see them, and it didn't take her long to take her leave … the boy introduced as "Steve" followed soon after.

"Loki, will you come over to Jane and Darcy's tonight?" Thor was talking to him.

He snapped out of his wandering thoughts. "I'm sorry?"

"It's movie night, Loki. We need to have a little fun for once."

Jane looked up at him in approval. "Totally. You should come over. Darcy will be there."

Loki furrowed his brow. "Will that Steve fellow be there as well? She didn't look too happy to see us when we walked up." _Or rather, happy to see me … when I walked up._

Jane rolled her eyes. "Oh my god, get over yourself, Loki. Steve is just an old friend. We've known him since we were five years old. He's practically engaged … he was just trying to talk to her about Bucky."

"Ah."

"She likes you, Loki. I can tell … or at least she did before you ignored her for two weeks."

He looked at her, confused. "I did nothing of the sort."

Jane shook her head. "Dudes really have no clue sometimes. Listen, you probably only have a very narrow window of time here, before she's done with you. If you like her, you should do something about it soon. She has zero tolerance for fuckery these days."

Loki slowly nodded his head. "I'll be there tonight then."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

As they walked into the girls' house, Jane apologized for Darcy being occupied … she just had some painting work to wrap up and would be down soon. As Loki followed his brother into the living room, he asked what they'd be watching.

" _Moonstruck_ ," Thor said, smiling.

" _Moonstruck_? Whatever for?"

His brother shrugged. "I thought it might cheer Darcy up a bit. It's set in Brooklyn … everyone is Italian ... "

Jane suddenly gasped. "AND NIC CAGE HAS ONE HAND! You have no idea how perfect that is!"

Thor beamed and Loki had to give it to him … he knew women.

After pizza was ordered and they waited for Darcy to come down, Loki realized he needed to relieve himself from all the coffee he'd drank over the course of the day … but Thor was in the downstairs bathroom.

"Jane, you have two bathrooms, correct?"

"Oh, yeah … there's one upstairs."

As he walked up the steps, he could hear loud R&B music … a woman singing. In the first room down the hallway, he could see that the door was half-way open, and Darcy was sitting in front of a canvas, straddling a chair in a most alluring position. He stood transfixed as she reached up to take her hair down, shaking it out, and letting it fall below her shoulders and to her waist. Loki wasn't sure how it happened, but somehow his hand was on the door … and somehow he pushed it open just an inch or so.

The sound of the door creaking seemed to break her out of her thoughts. She turned her head and looked at him … in a pose that any artist would love to recreate. Her back straight, the line of her neck, the curves of her body showing even through a pair of baggy overalls.

Loki realized that he should probably say something as the staring was probably getting a little creepy. "Em. I'm sorry to interrupt … I was just looking for the … loo? The one downstairs is currently occupied." He winced. _The loo. Gods._

She raised an eyebrow … then slowly stood and turned around.

_Holy fuck._

She wasn't wearing anything underneath her overalls. _Holy fuck. HOLY. FUCK._

Loki tried to keep his eyes on her face … _really_ tried … but the way she was looking at him, the way she was walking towards him, like she knew some great secret that he didn't. He couldn't help it. He could see the outline of her breasts … their lush fullness. He could almost sense their heaviness … how they'd feel in his hands. Such perfect … firm round flesh. _Holy fuck._ It was a most wicked tease, as her nipples were covered by the straps. What must they look like. He imagined them a dark pink, hardened from arousal.

When she got to the door, he looked up. She was pointing … in the direction of the loo? In the direction that his cock was at that point, probably standing? Up and a little to the left?

He had no clue.

Then she took that finger and promptly shut the door in his face.

Loki wasn't sure how long he stood there, but eventually he made his way to the bathroom … filled with her things. Her makeup bag. The shampoo she used sitting on the edge of the old-fashioned tub. The blue shower curtain she must of bought …

He stood in front of the toilet and thought about what he must do. He closed his eyes … tried to think of cold showers and old ladies, to squash the arousal evident in his trousers. COLD SHOWERS AND OLD LADIES. His mind automatically went to Helen Mirren. _WRONG OLDER LADY!_

He walked over to the sink and splashed cold water on his face. It ended up taking him much longer to use the bathroom than it usually did.

Eventually, Loki found his way back downstairs. He sat on the couch, took a pillow, and hugged it to his chest. He wanted to leave, but Thor had driven. He seriously thought about calling Bruce to come and get him, but that would look absolutely idiotic.

"Can we start the movie now?" He asked Thor and Jane, a bit desperately.

Jane looked confused. "Is Darcy coming down?"

Loki shrugged. "I don't know. She seemed upset."

"Well, she's been playing Mary J. Blige since she got home … I told you not to talk to her when she's playing Mary J. Blige."

He gave her an exasperated look. "How am I supposed to know who that is? I listen to The Cure and Radiohead!"

She eyed him suspiciously and grinned. "She was painting in her overalls … wasn't she." Jane's eyes looked down. "What is it that you're covering with that pillow?"

Loki glared at her. "I think the two of you know each other entirely too well."

She laughed and looked at Thor, who seemed a bit befuddled. "Let's go ahead and start the movie … she won't mind. We've seen it a million times … it never gets old."

After they'd mercifully started the movie and the pizza Jane had ordered arrived, Darcy came down the stairs in jeans and a t-shirt, her demeanor much changed.

"Oh my god! _MOONSTRUCK_! Thor … you picked this out?" she asked, with a big smile.

Thor nodded his head enthusiastically. "We thought it might cheer you up."

Loki quickly glanced at his brother … he'd said " _we_ ".

Darcy's smile then moved its attention to Loki, as she plopped down on the couch next to him. She bounced up and down a little and he wondered if she was doing it on purpose, as her breasts did a lovely dance for a slight moment.

He clutched the pillow a little tighter.

"Hey Jane, have I told you yet that I'm pro-Thor? Because I'm very pro-Thor."

She grinned at the pained expression on Loki's face. "And pro-Loki. I guess."

He'd take it.

Loki found himself again … not hating his brother.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

The next day, all Loki could think about was the straps on a pair of overalls. It was definitely something he'd never taken off of a woman. Women didn't typically wear overalls. And overalls were never a particularly sexy item of clothing … _until now_. He imagined unhooking the clasps … over and over again. He and Darcy had made plans to see the movie with the surgically enhanced raccoon and the talking tree … but all he could think about was the overalls.

He also rued the day that he told Bruce he'd think about going on rounds with him, to see to the poor and unwashed cretins tucked away in the mountains … because as soon as he woke up, that's what he had been reminded of. Bruce was standing outside his door with a large cup of coffee and a smile, informing him that today was the day.

"Time for some perspective, Loki," he said.

Loki rolled his eyes and pulled on a pair of pants. Bruce was almost impossible to say no to.

On the long and winding drive, his so-called friend fiddled with the radio, and Loki looked out the window … wondering what the best way to unclasp overall straps would be. Slow and steady? Or fast and hard?

Both had its merits.

"What's on your mind?" Bruce asked, trying to start a conversation.

"I don't think you want to know."

"Try me."

Loki turned to look at Bruce. "Role play. How about a female train conductor who asks you … 'would you like to come on my caboose'?"

Bruce kept his eyes on the road. "Uhhhh … I think you're right. I didn't want to know."

"How about a girl in a Mario or Luigi costume? And then you could be the goomba … they certainly are shaped a bit suggestively, are they not?"

"Eeehhhh, okay, Loki … you can quit talking now."

"Very well."

They rode in sweet silence the rest of the way to their destination, which was a little trailer set up to be a make-shift doctor's office, next to a gas station … and the gas station seemed to be the center of town.

The next few hours were filled with Loki grabbing things for Bruce … bandages, Q-tips, disposable thermometer tips … and a few times, needles. Loki raised his eyebrow at Bruce as he handed one over to him.

"You need to learn how to live in the world, Loki," he said. "Not in a bubble."

"That's fine," he said in return. "I noticed an IHOP down the street … we can eat there after this mission you have me on, and I'll request a tableside dusting of powdered sugar on your pancakes."

Bruce laughed. "And you think I'm going to roll up a dollar bill and snort sugar off my pancakes? Don't worry, I wouldn't leave the house if I didn't think I could handle a grand slam breakfast."

After a look at his phone, Bruce announced that they had to go. Loki was not a bit disappointed.

"Sorry, we'll have to cut this a little short … I have to see to a patient of mine back at the hospital. Would you mind coming with me? It seems a bit urgent."

"It's fine. I can check on Father while we're there."

But as they walked through the corridors, Loki found himself following Bruce instead of going off to the cardiac wing … visiting his father all of a sudden didn't seem like all that much fun … especially not when he could watch his friend get into arguments with nurses over Tony Stark.

"He was supposed to be monitoring him while I was away today … do I have to do everything myself? … You were to keep him here, not let him charm you into taking the patients vitals yourself, while he goes off and does whatever he wants … he has a very serious test that Stark was to see to, and it must be done! … Fine, I guess its up to me since Tony's not answering his phone."

Loki followed Bruce into said patient's room … just in case he needed him to hand him a needle or something … anything in order to not head to the cardiac wing. But then he stopped in his tracks as he walked through the door.

It was a good-looking young man … _with one arm_. Jane and Darcy's friend was sitting next to him by the bed. _Steve_.

"Are you ready, Bucky?"

The man shook his head, he seemed agitated. Steve stood up. "He doesn't want to be sedated, Doctor … he says he can withstand the pain. He doesn't like the way the medication makes him feel."

Bruce walked over to the bed. "What's the problem?"

"I can handle pain," Bucky said.

"I know that you can handle pain … but for this test, you can't be moving around … it could hurt you, and we wouldn't be able to do the surgery … so you will have to be sedated," Bruce instructed, firmly.

Bucky's lips were set into a hard line. "Fine."

Bruce then sent a vile of liquid into his IV.

Steve looked concerned. "Doctor, can I speak with you for a second?" He then saw Loki. "Hey, I've met you … Loki, right?"

It was as if everyone had just noticed him. "Ah. Yes. Steve, was it? It's nice to see you again."

Steve nodded absentmindedly. "Likewise."

Bruce looked at him. "Loki, can you watch him for a minute while I talk to Mr. Rogers? He's going to be a little woozy in a minute, and then he should pass out."

Loki nodded. He listened as the two men went out in the hallway to whisper heatedly. "He doesn't like to be drugged," Steve said. "He has repressed memories from over there … and sometimes things come back to him … and he becomes disoriented."

"I realize that," Bruce said, understanding. "But for the other tests, it was okay if he moved around a little bit … he can't move a muscle for this one …" his voice trailed off as they walked further down the hall.

Loki realized that Bucky was looking at him. "Your name is Loki?" he asked, his voice slurring slightly.

He walked up to the bed. "Yes." So this was Darcy's ex-boyfriend … the one who had caused her such distress from his visit.

Bucky seemed to recognize him. "Loki Odinson?"

He furrowed his brow and nodded. _How did he know me?_

The young man all of a sudden smiled … the grin of someone who was a bit inebriated. "I love your book, man. You wouldn't believe how many chicks I got from talking about it with them."

Loki inclined his head. "Really."

Bucky nodded. "Yeah." He looked down. "I tried to get my girlfriend to read it … but she threw it at me after one chapter."

He couldn't help but laugh a little. "Where is your girlfriend? Is it the lad outside the door?"

Bucky chuckled … it was almost a giggle. "No … why does everyone ask us that?"

Loki choked a little.

The patient then became a bit sad. "She hates me."

He slowly lowered himself into the chair that Steve had occupied. He must have been talking about Darcy. "So she is an ex-girlfriend?"

Bucky nodded. "You don't know what you got, til it's gone …" he sang the words.

Loki smiled … he was enjoying himself a little too much at watching the effects of the sedative work its magic. "Maybe you shouldn't have tried to get so many chicks … with my book."

He nodded. "I shouldn't have done a lot of things."

"What did you do?"

Bucky laid back onto the bed, his eyelids heavy. "Well … I strung her along for years. On and off. After an off period, I convinced her to leave some foreign guy she was dating and get back together." He laughed, completely stoned. "And this is going to sound really bad ... but then I got her pregnant … I freaked out and left her. She miscarried a few weeks later … and then her father died."

Loki stared at him, wide-eyed. "That's … unfortunate."

He nodded. "I tried to go to his funeral, to support her …" his voice was getting more and more slurred. "But she slapped me. And then her friend punched me … and then … nothing. War. Hell."

Bucky closed his eyes. "You know … there's probably only about five people on the whole planet that knows the whole story …" his voice trailed off, and he was out like a light.

Loki stood up, looking down at him. "And now there's about six," he said, quietly.

He walked down to the lobby and into the hospital gift shop to see if they had what he wanted … he started to browse the books. Yep, there it was. _A Soul Crushing Story of Utter Brilliance_. Loki bought a copy and a pen … and inscribed a note inside the cover to one of his biggest fans.

He went back upstairs, left it on Bucky's bedside table, and swiftly left the hospital … before he was inclined to take a pillow and smother the patient with it, like he wanted to.

Bruce had said that it was time for some perspective. _Indeed_ , he thought.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> XXX
> 
> Next up: Tony Stark throws a shin-dig ... as that's the type of thing that Tony Stark does.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Thor wears a man-bun, the girls get down to Lil Wayne ... and Loki and Darcy do each other favors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a long one ... lots of stuff happening. But I didn't want to break it up, as it would have interrupted the flow of the story ... with L&D's POVs being switched.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

_September 17th_

_Have I ever told you about how this blog started? It's probably not something I would have written about in the beginning._

_The last thing I ever made for my father was matzo ball soup. At the time, I had been obsessed with writing down and perfecting my grandmothers' recipes … but Grandma Lewis wouldn't ever put pen to paper, every measurement, every ingredient tucked away in her head. Her famous matzo ball soup was my dad's favorite, but she had passed away a few years before I had the chance to really nail anything down. All I had were the memories I spent with her in the kitchen … and trial and error. I spent days trying to recreate it. At the time, it had been a holy mission. Cathartic. Something I must do. The kitchen had always been my sanctuary … where women conspire, while men pretend to rule the world in the dining room. In short, cooking made me feel better when not much else did._

_My dad was this larger than life NYC guy who married a vivacious Italian girl. I had a Jewish grandmother and an Italian grandmother, both goddesses in the kitchen. Needless to say, food was a way of life growing up. Dad always loved anything my mother made him, as she's a kitchen strega in her own right … but the matzo ball soup stayed his favorite. SHE HATED IT, as you can imagine. Total mama's boy, my dad was. I wondered why my mother wouldn't just learn how to make his favorite soup instead of trying to turn him to the pasta side._

_So three summers ago, after many things fell apart, after I didn't know where to go next … I began to put things back together by constructing my family's history, my history, with recipes. And finally … I got it. I had been staying with my parents in Brooklyn, practically living in their kitchen … still my favorite kitchen, filled with all of my mother's touches. Her giant mortar and pestle that she lugged over from Rome. Her proper espresso machine. My Nonna's ancient cutting board … all these things that felt like home, like family. I made matzo ball soup over and over again amongst these things. And the look on my father's face as he tasted it, after I'd finally gotten it right … it looked as if he'd felt home again after being away for a very long time._

_I told him I was thinking about starting a blog, all the cool kids were doing it … and writing had always helped me to get my mind straight. Why not write about things I loved? Combine my two favorite things … cooking and art._

" _That's a wonderful idea," he said. "What are you going to call it?"_

_I knew it was silly … but it was the only thing I could think of. "Painting With Your Food," I said. I still wasn't sold on it._

" _It's you. I love it."_

_He got up from the kitchen table and kissed the top of my head. "Just be sure to laugh today, kiddo," my dad said._

_And that was it. He was off to work … the last time I ever talked to him ..._

After class, Darcy trudged up the steps to her room, walked like a zombie to her bed, and fell over, face down … finally relaxing after the week from hell, barely any sleep, grad school, emotional fuckery via ex-one-armed-boyfriend, and worrying over whether or not a weird emo boy liked her, as if she was fifteen years old. Now that was some bullshit.

But her eyes weren't closed for ten minutes before Jane rushed in, bouncing on the bed next to her.

"You've got two hours, sleeping beauty!" she sang. "We've been invited to a party!"

"No fucking way."

"Darce. You're not going to want to say no to this party."

"Try me," Darcy said into her pillow.

"Hear me out at least?"

She could never deny her friend at least that. Jane was always just too cute and eager in her pleading. Darcy flopped onto her back. "What?"

Jane smiled. "Thor invited us to a party that Tony Stark is throwing tonight! He's like, this incredibly brilliant engineer billionaire guy. He's basically Bruce Wayne, without the bat suit … and if Bruce Wayne made his own shit. Like, if the guy Morgan Freeman played in the Batman movies and Bruce Wayne melded into one person, that would be Tony Stark.

"Lucius Fox."

"Right, Lucius Fox."

"That still doesn't sound nearly as exciting as sleep, Foster," Darcy threw an arm over her eyes.

"And Doctor Banner will be there!"

Darcy sat up on her elbows. "Dr. Banner and Stark? Is this some kind of Bucky thing?"

Jane gave her a chastising look. "No. It's some party that Stark throws every year … I'm sure they'll be celebrating the procedure they invented, but Bucky is currently at the hospital, in a bed … he won't be at the party. Stark is a major contributor … and donator to the university, and if we go, I can maybe talk to Dr. Banner. Thor and Loki know him really well, apparently … it's so cool! And maybe you can meet some potential rich art patrons!"

"Ugh. I so don't care about rich people." Darcy laid back down and put her arm back over her eyes.

Jane reached over and shook her by the shoulders. "Snap out of it, Lewis! Life! It goes on … stop moping, this isn't like you. Laughs! Remember? What would your dad say?"

"That's a low blow, Foster."

"What would Erik say? I know what he'd say … he'd say … 'don't do it, Miss Celie, he ain't worth it!"

"He already said that."

Jane sighed. "I don't want to go alone … and I really want to go."

Darcy took her hand away again and opened her eyes. "Wouldn't you be going with Thor?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, but he'd be like, the only person I'd know, and he's a social butterfly … he'll be all over the place fluttering around and talking to people, while I'm sitting in a chair in a corner somewhere."

"Is Loki gonna be there?"

Jane smiled. "Probably!"

"Well … then you can sit in a corner with him, I imagine that's where he spends most of his time at parties."

Her friend growled in frustration and Darcy rolled onto her side. "Listen, I know I'm being kind of a bitch right now … it's just been a tough few days."

"I know."

"I'll go on two conditions."

"You got it!" Jane beamed.

"You're gonna have to find me a caffeine I.V. … like, straight in the vein."

"How bout if I just go get you a latte with a triple shot of espresso."

"That works too … also, we're dressing up. For a laugh," Darcy grinned.

Jane's face lit up. "There's the Darcy I know and love!"

Two hours and a bottle of wine later, most of the contents of their closets were laying on their respective floors.

"Wow, we really need to step up our game," Darcy said, laying down on Jane's bed in her slip.

Jane and Darcy had a tendency to go to parties dressed up with a theme in mind … though this time they were going for subtle, since it was apparently a swank party.

" _Mad Men_?" Jane asked.

"Too overdone," Darcy shook her head.

"Well, the only other thing we both have is little black dresses … so unless you want to do that Robert Palmer video, 'Addicted to Love' … we're doing _Mad Men_."

"We still have the leather from that Halloween bondage party from a few years ago … we could do _Sons of Anarchy_ ," Darcy said with a wink.

Jane stood expressionless. "I'm not going to talk to my hero, a brilliant doctor and surgeon, wearing a leather corset."

"I doubt he'd mind."

"My boyfriend will be there!"

Darcy grinned. "Oh, he's your boyfriend now?"

She shrugged. "Sorta."

"So have you guys … ya know, done the thing?"

Jane gave a little smile. "No. Not yet. Almost. That's another reason why I want you to go. Loki's actually kind of a cockblock … maybe you could like, take him home? Not, like _go home_ with him … unless you want to! But Thor seems to be the one who always drives him home, and we can never actually spend a whole night together."

"Hmmm, that's weird. But can you technically call him a cockblock? Wouldn't he be more like a … a clam jam?"

Jane giggled. "Muffin muzzle."

Darcy stuffed her face in a pillow, laughing. "Cunt punt," she said, when she could breath.

"Taco blocko!"

"TACO BLOCKO!" Darcy screamed. "That's the one! Okay. I'll take one for the team … I guess. I'll see what I can do about Señor Taco."

Jane looked at her friend, grateful. "Thank you!"

"And I guess we can do _Mad Men_ … we need to hurry though, that 60's-era hair and makeup takes a while. There's a reason why women cut all that shit out. Ain't nobody got time for that."

Jane held up her trusty little black dress. "Okay, but you're not wearing boots with your outfit again … you're wearing heels. Fuck-me pumps."

Darcy rolled her eyes. "Why?"

"Because you're supposed to help stop a taco blocko."

"So?"

Jane lost her smile. "Stop acting like you don't like Loki. Now … heels will be more appropriate because he's so very tall. All the better to …"

"Okay! Okay … I get it," Darcy said, grinning. "Though I'm glad I'll be going with a med student, since you can doctor me up when I break my ankle."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

"I'm not sure how I'm supposed to do this, Foster. We didn't drive."

Jane shrugged, looking a little disappointed. "I know. We'll figure it out."

They didn't drive to Tony Stark's house, or rather complex, because Thor had sent a car for them … like, a private car with a driver in a little hat, not a taxi. They didn't want to seem ungrateful, but it put a bit of a damper on their plans.

Mr. Stark's house was located out past the town, on many acres of luxury … as they rolled up to the gates of the house, they marveled at all the fairy lights on the trees, and glowing lanterns hanging from the branches, leading up the long driveway. Someone had paid attention to every detail.

When the car stopped, it was Thor that opened the door. "Ladies! You look beautiful, both of you," he said.

Darcy looked up at him as she followed Jane out of the car. He was wearing a tailored three-piece blue suit that made him look every bit like the star that he was, and his blonde hair was smoothed back into some sort of man-bun. _Man-bun_. Darcy thought it sounded ridiculous, but seeing it in real life … it was fucking hot.

And she could tell that Jane thought it was hot too … as she was looking up at him like she didn't want to wait for any sort of party to happen, but just take the car back to their place and have her way with him then and there. Darcy didn't blame her.

Jane fit with Thor perfectly, looking very "Breakfast at Tiffany's" in her retro black dress and pearls … and she walked in her black stilettos like a pro. Darcy trailed behind them, trying to get used to the insanely high heels she'd borrowed from her friend, while keeping her posture straight in the dark-red satin halter-style dress that she'd poured herself into.

In the grand entranceway, they were offered champagne, and Darcy looked around to see if she recognized anyone. Nope … no one. Definitely no Loki … but eventually she noticed Steve standing at a table full of canapes.

_What was he doing here?_

Whatever. She could talk to him later if she found herself alone.

Thor led them up to a few people in what looked like an exclusive crowd.

"Jane. Darcy. This is Tony Stark and Pepper Potts."

Darcy gasped. It was him. The ass-wipe at the hospital with the douchey goatee, in an Armani suit. "You're the dude that lied to me!"

He smirked a very irritating smirk. "Anakin's girl," Tony said. "It's my sincere pleasure to be formally introduced. Maybe when Banner and I are finished with him, he'll be able to handle all these ties and buttons a little better." He pointed to the bow at the back of her neck from the halter-dress.

Darcy's whole body blushed and she felt like her skin had caught on fire.

"Tony!" The woman standing next to him chastised him, as if it was something she did many times a day. She looked at Darcy. "I'm so very sorry … he's a total ass, but he only means about a quarter of what he says." She held out her hand. "Pepper Potts."

The woman looked so sincere … and so beautiful in her green strapless dress … and so tall. She took her hand. "Darcy Lewis, it's nice to meet you," she said, with a forced smile.

Tony grinned and held up his glass of scotch. "Sorry about the lie, kiddo. It just looked like you needed a little push … and Anakin seemed like he needed a bit of a distraction. The idiot has been in a lot of unnecessary pain."

Darcy didn't exactly want to get emotional in front of a genius billionaire, but his assumption that she and Bucky were somehow more than what they were, really bothered her.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Stark," Darcy said cooly. "But Bucky and I aren't … together, like that. We're just old friends … from back in the day."

Tony looked like he could see right through her, like he knew all her secrets. "Uh-huh."

Jane mercifully took her arm. "It was wonderful to meet you, Mr. Stark … Ms. Potts. We're going to go look at the amazing spread you have over there. Everything looks so very beautiful." The couple nodded and their attention was pulled to some well-to-do rich person or other.

"I'm sorry about that Darcy."

"It's not your fault," she said, but the mood was definitely soured.

"Come," Thor said, noticing the girls' distress. "We'll find Bruce."

Things were certainly lightened as they were introduced to Jane's poster boy. Bruce Banner had been tucked away in a parlor off to the side, talking with other doctors, obviously not the type of guy that lived for big shindigs. Darcy watched as her friend blushed and tripped over her words talking to him. She was proud of Thor, who looked uncomfortable with his girlfriend so obviously enthralled with his friend, but he took it well. He was probably used to fangirls.

"Jane and Darcy," Bruce said. "So you're the med student who was childhood friends with Bucky and Steve Rogers?"

Jane bobbed her head up and down, smiling big. "Yessir. We were all pretty close when we were younger."

Bruce looked over to Darcy and offered his hand. "And you're Darcy … his girlfriend? He talks about you."

She froze. Jane lost her smile.

_Where were these people getting this information?_

Darcy raised her hand to shake his. He seemed like such a nice man, and she didn't want to be rude. "Ah, no … not girlfriend. Just … friend," she said, quietly.

Bruce seemed to notice that something was off. "Oh. I'm sorry … I didn't mean … Bucky just speaks very highly of you."

She smiled at him and nodded her head, not furthering the conversation, and Jane expertly grabbed his attention with doctor talk. After a while, the medical jargon started to make her yawn, so she excused herself to go and find Steve. Darcy needed a reprieve from meeting swanky people while plastering a smile on her face … and was starting to regret not doing exactly what she wanted earlier, and just went to bed.

As Darcy went to find Steve, she glanced through the crowd … still no Loki. Maybe she wouldn't have to help Jane with her little mission after all, which was a bit of relief … but if she was being honest with herself, she was also a little disappointed to not see him. She winced at the thought.

 _Bad Darcy_.

But another voice in her head said … _why so bad_?

Darcy found Steve by the horderves … he was standing with Sharon. They looked so incredibly pretty together, all blonde and perfect.

"Hey guys," she walked up to them. "Sharon it's so good to see you." The girls gave each other a little hug.

"What brings you here?" She was curious.

Steve looked a bit uncomfortable. "I really hate things like this," he said. "But Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner invited me. They're doing a presentation later with a bunch of potential investors … they want me to talk about Bucky's military service."

She nodded. "Gotcha. Does everyone have to watch this presentation?" If so, Darcy was calling a cab back home.

Steve shook his head. "Oh, no … it's happening later, just a few people."

"Like a bunch of dudes smoking cigars and drinking brandy in another room, while the women do their embroidery and play cards?" she asked, grinning.

He smiled as he adjusted his tie. "Something like that."

"Have you gone to see Bucky yet?" Sharon asked.

"Um. Yeah."

"It helped him out a lot, Darcy." Steve said, smiling. "Will you go back?"

Darcy shook her head … she really didn't want to be talking about Bucky all night. "I don't know."

"You should."

"Don't push her, Steve," Sharon said.

"Thank you." Darcy inclined her head, smiling at Steve's girlfriend.

"It's just … he's just so changed, Darcy. Maybe …"

"Okay, stop right there," Darcy said forcefully, beginning to become really upset. Steve was practically suggesting they get back together … after everything.

He shrugged. "Sorry … it just seems like, you know … the timing is good. You said you weren't …" his voice trailed off, but Darcy understood what he meant. She wasn't dating anyone … why not get back together with fuckass Bucky? Isn't that what had always happened in the past?

She really wanted to go home … tired of wandering around feeling alone. Jane said she was afraid Thor would be leaving her all by herself to be social, but so far he was being a good boyfriend, and had her by his side. Everyone seemed to be coupled up, and Darcy didn't exactly feel like being a third-wheel all night.

She was about to turn around and leave … walk outside and call a cab, when a hand slid through her fingers. She looked over … and up, to see Loki. He was smiling and offering her a glass of wine.

"There you are, darling." He bent down and laid a peck on her temple, in a strangely intimate gesture. Darcy could only blink at him, but she squeezed his hand in a most sincere and silent thank you.

"I'm so sorry I'm late," Loki said. He looked up. "Steve, how good to see you."

Steve nodded, though he looked a bit shocked, looking between the two of them, coming to the conclusion that perhaps he'd been wrong about her being single … that Loki and Darcy were perhaps a thing.

"Ah, Loki," Darcy said. "This is Sharon Carter, Steve's girlfriend."

"It's a pleasure," he said, nodding to her. Loki swiftly took his hand and put it on the small of Darcy's back. "I'm so sorry, if you'll excuse us … there's some people I'd like Darcy to meet."

He led her through the crowd and into a lighter populated room further back, which looked like you had to be VIP to be in.

Darcy took a big gulp of her wine. "Thanks, Loki … how did you …"

He held up a hand. "Jane said you were uncomfortable … that people were assuming something untrue. So I thought you might appreciate it if they assumed something else for an evening."

He offered her a chair and she sat down, taking him in. Thor had looked good … but Loki, he looked like he was born in his suit, obviously custom made. It was black, snug, one of those form-fitting suits that were so popular these days. He even had a chain from a pocket watch hanging on his vest. It was unbelievably hot. His hair had been smoothed back into his ponytail … but no man-bun. Darcy was slightly disappointed that there was no man-bun.

Loki smiled at her, which made her stomach do a strange flip thing. "You look lovely this evening," he said.

"Thanks!" she said, nervously. "You do too!" She began to drain her glass of wine, wishing she had a xanax.

Thor and Jane came walking up. "Come Loki, it's time for the meeting."

He looked irritated. "I really do not wish to attend."

Thor looked confused. "But they want you to write an article."

Loki shook his head. "I am not writing any article on the subject."

"Well, regardless … there are investors, it will be good for the university, and for Father … he'd want us to represent him."

Loki sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine."

And they left to go to their "man meeting", leaving the girls to themselves for a little while. They went to go find Sharon … and perhaps some decent music. And more wine.

After a bit of searching, they found where the music was playing, and a very sad dance floor to accompany it … as there was no one on it.

"What's with the AC/DC?" Darcy asked. "I mean … they're cool, but you can't dance to AC/DC."

"Darcy!"

She looked over to see Natasha walking towards them, in a stunning black dress. The woman was too gorgeous to be real. "Natasha! How did you get roped into this party? And you're all alone too? Let me guess … you have a man in the 'man meeting'?"

She laughed. "Yes. My fiancé, Clint. It's okay … he's the head football coach here at Asgardia, so he has to attend these types of things, though he hates it," she said. "But that just gives us more time to hang out. What do you say, ladies?"

Apparently, Natasha wasn't just an amazing yoga instructor and Krav Maga teacher … but she was also a dancer, having grown up practicing ballet and expanding to other genres. The girls spent the next hour dancing to 80's pop music, laughing their heads off, and drinking copious amounts of very expensive wine. Maybe Darcy liked that Tony Stark guy after all.

Eventually, Natasha's fiance rolled up and she introduced everyone. He was quiet, but friendly … and hot, but Darcy expected any guy that Natasha was going to end up with, to be hot. It was as it should be.

"Is the meeting over?" Natasha asked him.

"Nah … but I couldn't stand it in there anymore. I bailed."

Jane frowned. "Is Thor still in there?"

Clint turned to look at her. "You're Thor's girlfriend, right? It's nice to finally meet you. He talks about you all the time."

Jane blushed, but Darcy could tell that as the evening went on, and more wine had been drunk, she was becoming more and more irritated that Thor had left her alone. And if Clint had bailed … she wondered why Thor hadn't.

Darcy decided to lighten the mood by charming the DJ into playing several rap songs. By the time their favorite played—a Lil Wayne song that had the best and most random, most ridiculous lyrics ever—everyone was well-sloshed, and Jane had forgotten all about Thor.

They danced around, drawing quite a crowd … though it wasn't exactly good dancing. More like irreverent white-girl dancing.

_Six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch!_

_Six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch!_

Jane and Darcy knew all the words … they looked at each other and recited the lines to each other, complete with gangsta hand movements. They probably looked silly as hell.

_Word to my mama, I'm out of my lima bean … don't wanna see what that drama mean, get some Dramamine … llama scream, hotter than summer sun on a Ghana queen._

They bent over with laughter and Darcy felt a vibration in her cleavage … she drunkenly realized that it's where she'd put her phone. It was a text from Erik.

" _Where are you?"_

" _I'm at Tony Stark's house dancing to Lil Wayne!"_

" _That's … random. Okay."_

After another song, Jane, Darcy, Sharon, and Natasha were all out of breath. Clint was hanging back, talking to other football people, as he wasn't the type of guy to groove on the dance floor.

She felt another vibration.

" _Come outside."_

" _What?"_

" _COME OUTSIDE :-D"_

She looked at Jane. "It's Erik! He's like, HERE."

Darcy shoved her glass of wine in Jane's hand and practically ran to the front door, weaving through the dwindling crowd. When she got outside, she saw Erik, standing in the drive and waving. "SURPRISE!" he yelled, with a grin.

He was a damn Calvin Klein ad, with his hair all perfect and his tight black shirt and black shiny pants.

"Oh my god!" Darcy hopped up and down while taking her heels off, and ran to greet him.

"Guurl, you better hike up that dress!" he shouted, as he turned his back to her.

It was something they often did … she pushed her dress up, not caring about the show she was probably giving to people, and as soon as she came upon to Erik, she jumped up, screaming with laughter ... and he caught her, so that he was carrying her piggy-back. She kissed him on the cheek. "You have no idea how much I needed to see you."

"Oh, I can imagine. Where's Jane?"

"Erik!" He turned around and found Jane running towards them, still in her heels. She came up and took him by the hand, kissing him on the cheek as well.

"Both my girls," he said. "let's get outta here."

"With pleasure," Darcy said, still on his back.

"You don't want to come inside?" Jane asked, slightly slurring her words.

"Honey, no. I'm so tired of these stuffy parties … I go to enough of them in New York. I need some peace and quiet."

Jane shrugged. "Okay."

The three of them walked to Erik's rented convertible. "The two of you better have a few bottles of wine in your fridge … it looks like I have some catching up to do."

"Always!" Jane said.

"Hey!" Darcy said. "We don't have to worry about getting home! Or cockblocking … or clam jamming … or Señor Taco!"

"TACO BLOCKO!"

Erik let Darcy down and they got in the car. "Oh yeah," he said. "I have a lot of catching up to do."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Back at the house, Jane was on the couch sloshing a glass of wine around, while Darcy and Erik were laying on the floor, passing a joint. They'd been listening to old George Michael tunes and catching up, when Thor started buzzing Jane. She'd ignored him the first few times, but eventually, she answered.

"Whatever, Thor," she slurred into her phone. "You left us alone for like, _two hours_. We called our pool boy to come and get us."

Erik sat up. "Pool boy?" he mouthed.

Darcy giggled and shrugged.

Jane sighed in frustration. "Yeah, that Clint friend of yours came out after a while and Natasha wasn't left to her own devices at a party that _he_ invited her to, UNLIKE YOU."

Erik furrowed his brow in deep thought. "I think I'd rather be called 'the cook', if I was going to be 'the help.'"

"No one fucks the cook," Darcy said.

"Oh, I beg to differ, honey … _and you know it_. It's every man's dream … a cook in the kitchen and a whore in the bedroom … gay, straight, across the board."

"Sounds misogynist."

Erik gave one of his gallic shrugs from his position laying on rug. "The truth hurts."

Jane slammed her glass on the coffee table. "Uh-huh. Yeah yeah, well you can make it up to me tomorrow … WITH YOUR TONGUE, so be ready … get your chapstick, do some breathing exercises. I'm done talking to you tonight!" She pressed the button on her phone and hung up on him.

Darcy laughed. "I wonder if a girl has ever told Thor Odinson to practice his breathing exercises before a little muff diving."

"I doubt he's ever been criticized too much," Erik said. "Don't be too hard on him Jane, he probably hasn't had to fine-tune his technique, like other less good-looking men have."

Jane looked insulted. "You're good-looking and you act like some oral god! … it's all you talk about!"

Erik laughed. "In my world, there's no excuse for a bad blow job."

"Well there shouldn't be excuses in ours either!" Jane shouted.

"You tell em honey," he wagged a finger at her. "That's what third-wave feminism should stem from … demanding that men worship the … the, _lady parts_ … as much as men expect you to worship on your knees at the divine phallus."

" _Lady parts_? ..." Darcy laughed, stoned. "You can't say it, can you? Say it, Erik! VAGINA!"

Erik visibly cringed. "Please Darcy, don't kill my buzz."

Darcy decided not to tease him further. "So was Thor upset that we left?" she asked.

Jane threw up her hands. "He was wondering where we ran off to. He said Loki told him we left with a 'walking Ken Doll'."

Erik looked insulted. "Ken Doll? First a pool boy and now a Ken Doll? I'm just being marginalized and objectified all over the place."

Darcy ignored him. "How did Loki know? He was gone for as long as Thor was."

Jane only shrugged before picking up her glass of wine again.

"How's the Loki thing going?" Erik asked.

Darcy frowned, trying to think of the right thing to say through the haze of smoke. "Strange. A few days ago, I was ready to write him off … I didn't think he was all that interested, but maybe I was just misreading the signals. We have a date planned for Sunday … but I just didn't want to get my hopes up, you know? He's weird. I don't know how to take him sometimes."

"You saw him tonight?"

Darcy nodded. "Yeah. He like … _saved me_ ," she said, looking baffled. "Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, both complete strangers to me, were under the impression that Bucky and I were like, together. And then fucking Steve, pretty much suggested that I should think about getting back with him, since I was lonely and single … and then out of nowhere, Loki comes up and puts on a brilliant act … like we'd been dating for weeks."

Erik smiled slowly. "Loki Odinson, brilliant writer, gorgeous tall drink of water … knight in shining armor."

"Hardly."

Jane drained her wine glass. "I was worried you'd be mad at me for telling him ... that you were getting angry at everyone. But he asked how you were … he seemed concerned."

"He was talking with you guys?"

Jane nodded. "Yeah, he got there after you left to talk to Steve. Dr. Banner was asking if he'd offended you somehow."

"Hmm. I didn't mean to be rude to the guy, he seemed like a nice man … I was just, really shocked. Maybe I shouldn't have gone to see Bucky. I hope he's not getting ideas … Steve is certainly getting ideas," her thoughts trailed off. "I thought he was my friend," Darcy said, wistfully.

Erik put his hand on Darcy's arm. "He _is_ your friend … but they're bros, Darcy. They were in the army together. They're practically married … Steve is probably closer to Bucky than he is his own girlfriend."

Darcy rolled her eyes. "God, I so do not miss dealing with that mess. I do feel bad for Sharon … when Steve has a problem, the first person he talks to is probably Bucky, not her."

"Just be glad it's over … and it is, _over_. I don't want to hear about you visiting him anymore. The last time I ever wanted you to see him, was after I'd knocked him to the ground."

Darcy tried to laugh. "That image was very satisfying … but no, Jane and Steve were right, I guess. If I hadn't gone, I'd just be stewing about it. And it was kind of good to see him … it put things into perspective … NOT because I want to get back with him, but because he does seem different. Whatever happened to him, probably shouldn't happen to anyone."

"It's true, Darcy," Jane said.

Erik shook his head. "Okay, let's stop talking about Fucky."

"Glady," Darcy said, sitting up to pour herself and Erik another glass of wine. "So Jane, are you gonna make Thor suffer? I doubt Mr. Super Bowl Ring is used to women making him suffer."

Jane looked at her, indignant. "I don't care if he's Mr. Football. He's not the first famous person to enjoy all this," she said, motioning towards herself.

Erik almost spit the wine out that Darcy had handed to him. "You're calling Donald Blake famous? Daytime TV doctor and peddler of diet pills? Honey, his fame is on par with the Real Housewives."

As Darcy watched Jane try to throw the empty contents of her glass at Erik, she smiled. Her friends … wine, and maybe a little marijuana. It was exactly what she needed.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

The next day, after nursing quite the hangover, Jane and Darcy walked to the coffee shop, leaving Eric behind. He still had a lot of work to do, even though he was on a mini vacay. They left him alone with his laptop, in one of the spare bedrooms they'd made up with him in mind.

Jane was heading over to meet up with Thor, and Darcy needed one of her lattes with a triple shot of espresso, in order to feel like a human being again. When they got there, Thor was sitting at the counter, visibly agitated … but not at Jane. A look of relief washed over his face as she walked up to give him a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Jane. Darcy. You're looking well," he said.

"Liar," Darcy smirked, as she sat at the counter next to her friends, holding up her hand to be served immediately.

"I think we're all feeling a little worse for wear," Thor said gravely, as his eyes traveled across the room, his mood shifting back to agitated.

"What's up?" Jane asked.

Thor nodded toward one of the corner tables. "Loki. We came together because he wanted to get coffee … and he ran into … _her_."

Darcy looked over to where Thor had nodded. She could see Loki looking extremely uncomfortable, his elbows on the table, hands over his mouth. He was seated across from a girl with dark stringy hair, who was talking to him animatedly.

"Who's the twig?" Jane asked.

Darcy laughed. "Now Jane … we're not supposed to body shame … even the thin ones. But yeah, the skinny bitch does resemble a praying mantis, doesn't she?"

Thor nodded, angrily. "You have no idea how right you, Darcy. She is a praying mantis, as she tends to bite the heads off of her partners after mating."

"Whoa dude."

"I just don't like her. And Loki doesn't like talking to her … but she sighted him and cornered him, even though he's been avoiding her. The little …" his voice trailed off, his features looking a bit constipated.

"Come on, Thor," Darcy said. "Let it all out … just say what you mean! As my mama would say."

He found his resolve. "The little … she-devil, HYDRA, MEDUSA BITCH!"

Jane and Darcy grinned at each other. "Whoa, Jane … I'm so very pro-Thor. He mixes his insults with mythology. I'm not sure I've ever met a guy who does that."

Thor relaxed and smiled a bit. "I don't know how the two of you do it, but in the short time I've known you, I've never seen anger diffused as quickly as when you're in the room."

"Well," Darcy said. "It's important to laugh every day."

"Truth!" Jane said, as she raised her fist.

Darcy stood up and smoothed out her clothes, that had up until an hour ago, been crumpled up on her floor, still laying there from her closet adventures the previous evening. In an attempt to feel more like a human, and not someone chilling with a hangover all day in yoga pants, she'd pulled on a casual jersey skirt to go with her Rolling Stones t-shirt … along with thigh-high socks and boots. She probably looked ridiculous, but whatever.

She began to walk in the direction of Loki's table. Thor reached over and touched her arm before she got too far. "What are you doing?"

Darcy grinned. "Returning the favor."

Thor smiled and motioned for her to proceed.

There was just something about wearing boots that gave you so much confidence, which is probably why Darcy walked over there like she owned the room. When she caught Loki's eye, she gave him a half-grin, and didn't give him much time to react … as she had already reached the table.

Without pause, and without looking to the person seated across from him, she bent down. He instinctively sat up, and Darcy put her hand on his cheek, leaned in closer, and kissed him … right on the lips. She meant for it to be a peck, like he had given her on the temple … as he was probably a little bit more subtle and classy than she was. But nope … Darcy let her lips linger for an awkward amount of time … though he obviously didn't seem to mind, since she could feel him pressing his mouth back onto hers. Soon, what was supposed to have been a quick and funny mission, had started to make her dizzy. His lips were warm … and electric. Things were happening.

She broke the kiss and opened her eyes, a bit shocked. It took her a second to remember what she was doing.

Darcy blinked. "There you are, darling," she said, almost a whisper … mimicking what he'd said previously. "I'm so sorry I'm late," she said, as she smiled.

It seemed to take him a second to find his voice. "Ah. That's … quite alright. Em. Darcy … this is Sig." He looked across the table to the girl, and Darcy let her eyes follow, getting the first good look at her.

She was very skinny, almost unhealthily so … with barely any color to her skin. You couldn't even call her pale, as even white creamy skin could have a healthy blush … but it was almost as if this girl was transparent. Her hair was long and thin, her eyes were darting around the room, unable to land on anything for too long. Darcy thought that perhaps once … the girl had been beautiful. She held herself straight, with the confidence of someone who knew what it was like to be thought of as beautiful. She also looked totally put-out by Darcy's appearance.

_Oh well, HYDRA MEDUSA BITCH._

She held out her hand. "Sig? I'm Darcy."

The girl reached out her hand for an anemic handshake. "Nice to meet you," she said, quietly, in a tone that conveyed it was definitely not nice for this girl to meet her.

_Oh no you didn't._

"Sig … I haven't heard that name before," Darcy said, to imply that Loki never talked about her … which wasn't a lie. "Is that short for something? Like … maybe Sigourney?" Darcy gasped, putting on a show. "Sigourney Weaver? Were your parents big fans of the _Alien_ franchise? I love _Alien_!"

The girl looked up at her like she was a total idiot, but Loki sat behind her laughing … though you could tell he was trying to reign it in.

"No," Sig said curtly. "It's a family name."

Darcy nodded. "Ah." She turned over to Loki. "Okay, well … we'll be over there … _babe_."

She turned on her heel and walked away, satisfied with their game. When she got back to the counter, both Thor and Jane were giving her evil grins.

"What? I was just helping a brother out."

"Yeah … that's not exactly how I help my brother out … but whatever works," Thor said, handing Darcy her latte that she'd gotten to go. "Please don't leave yet, Darcy."

Darcy frowned. "Why? My work here is done … and my stomach finally feels okay for food. There's a pizza in my freezer and I'm starving."

Thor looked at her with those puppy dog eyes again. "Just … please, wait and talk to him."

She then felt a hand grab at her elbow from behind. "I need to speak with you," Loki said, looking down, almost as if he were angry.

Darcy frowned. _Did I do something wrong?_

She looked behind her to see Sig still at the table, bringing up a laptop.

"Um. Okay? I'm sorry … I didn't mean to get you in any sort of trouble … if you and her are like …"

"No! It's not like that," he said, while pulling her down the aisle-way and toward the back of the coffee shop. He paused in front of one of the bathrooms and opened the door, motioning for her to go inside.

"What? I'm not going into the ladies room with a dude."

He shrugged. "They're uni-sex, and I need to speak with you privately."

Darcy was very confused. "Um … okay, but this is really weird," she said, as she walked past him, inside.

He followed her, shut the door, and locked it.

She threw up her hands. "What's going on?"

He walked up to her, looking down, as if accusing her of some grand crime. "Are you … _toying_ with me?"

"What? No!"

"What was that?" he asked, motioning towards outside the door, meaning what had just happened with Sig.

Darcy shook her head, taken aback. "Thor said you didn't like talking to her. I was … just returning the favor … you know, from last night. When you …"

"Yes, yes … I know what you mean." Loki turned around and ran his hands through his hair, which was again, down around his face. It was ridiculously attractive. "I don't understand you, Darcy."

"Huh?"

"You left! Last night … with …"

Darcy couldn't help but laugh. "With the pool boy?" The fact that he thought she and Jane went home with Erik to do naughty things was insanely funny.

Loki glared at her. "So you were just returning the favor." His features then softened into a look of … want, hope.

_How did he do that?_

He walked back up to her. "Is that all it was?"

She frowned. "Well … I mean …" She thought about the warmth that kissing him had created. The heat. The electricity. Darcy looked up at him. "No?"

His eyes searched her face, and they stood there staring at each other for a good five or ten seconds, not sure of what to do next. He then seemed to make a decision, as he bent down and put his hand on her cheek, like she had done at the table. Slowly, he pressed his lips to hers, as she slid her hand up to hold onto the arm that was touching her face.

It was so soft … and so innocent … so sweet. He was kissing her in the unisex bathroom of a coffee shop, but he did it with a reverence that reminded her of some old romantic black and white movie … like _Casablanca_ or some shit. But that's all that was happening … somewhere in her mind, Darcy wanted a little more. The heat was back … the heat had _been_ back. The heat had _been there all along_ , she realized.

It was like both of them were afraid to take it any further, but had decided to say … _fuck it,_ at the same time. There was no use in just standing there, plastered in a Hollywood pose. They opened their mouths slightly and touched tongues … the first taste of something a little more … a little more invasive. Exploring a person's tongue, their mouth … was a precursor to exploring _other warm and wet things_. The kiss deepened. They wrapped their arms around each other, which was well and good, because Darcy began to need something to hold her up, as she became straight-up dizzy. And oh, God he smelled so good, like winter, spicy and cool. His arms felt so inviting, so warm ... so protective. She was practically swooning. Who knew Loki had this kind of effect on her?

_You knew … the whole time._

She moaned a little, as along with the dizziness, the kiss had also set off a rush of heat down below, with butterflies in her stomach, and that increasingly pleasurable hum between the legs that came with a good make-out session. The moan seemed to set him off a bit, as his kissing, his mouth, his tongue … started to move a bit more desperately, though his hands were keeping everything still very PG, as they were now settled on the small of her back, barely brushing the top of her backside.

_Hmm … we'll see about that._

She moaned again, this time a little louder, pressing her body a little more into his, and this time, he lost a bit of composure, as he moaned as well … moving his hands down to finally cup her ass, pressing her tightly to him, so that she could feel the beginnings of a sweet and terrible tension … only terrible if it couldn't be released, that is. They began a dangerous game to be played in a coffee shop bathroom.

Through a fog, she realized that he was backing her up against a counter … a marble ledge that ladies set their purses on, or changed their kid's diapers on … or in this case, a seat for people to make out when there was a height difference. He bent down and easily lifted her onto the counter … and she automatically opened her knees, as if it was instinctual, and he gladly stepped between them, her skirt naturally bunching up around her thighs.

Loki seemed to really like this, as he broke their kiss momentarily to look down, and saw her thigh-high socks. She thought they looked kinda silly, but he must have thought they were hot … as he ran his hand up her leg, and back to cupping her ass, practically lifting her and tilting her hips to meet his, and they started to subtly grind against each other. He went for her neck and she moaned again, searching for his hands, needing to be touched in more places … she found them and brought them up to her breasts … a silent plea.

_Feel me up, please._

He groaned, distracted from kissing her neck, and kneaded … panting into her shoulder. She tilted her head back in pleasure … it felt so good to be touched. She found her hands under his soft and expensive v-neck, to touch his skin … felt the lean muscles of his back, and he took this as permission to do the same, his fingers now running up her bare stomach, finding her bra, going back to their exploration under one less layer of clothing.

Darcy found that she had her legs wrapped around his waist … _how'd that happen_? She was at this point, seriously making out with Loki Odinson. No, this was probably headed into the heavy petting department. Soon … there would be no turning back from this without pain, like some serious lady blue balls.

_Oh, fuck it._

She found that one of his hands was inching up between her thighs, and she spread her knees a little more, to allow him to do what he wanted. He'd gone back to kissing her like he never needed to come up for air, while his fingers found a very pleasurable spot to gently press on, and then rub in a teasing circular motion … all through a very thin layer of cotton. She broke their kiss and groaned rather loudly at the contact … put her forehead onto his chest and closed her eyes, savoring the feel of it, slightly moving her hips in rhythm with his hand.

_Damnit. More._

Darcy looked up at him, the expression on his face was intense, desire written all over his features. He was showing everything to her … all his feelings, an open book. It made everything inside of her tighten. She found her arm reaching between them, her fingers resting on his belt buckle … then traveling further, she traced the outline of his erection.

_Whoa … big boy._

He made a strangled sound and pushed his hips forward in her hand, a plea for more pressure, and she gladly complied, eventually reaching back up to the buckle, finding that she was actually undoing it … and she felt him slide his hands up her thighs, to her hips, hooking fingers under her panties and beginning to pull … down.

 _Well … okay_.

Erik said she needed a good deep dicking. She could really use a nice hard cock, as it had been awhile … and here was this gorgeous guy attached to one.

_No condom, Lewis!_

_No, screw condoms … that's what pills are for._

_No … that's not the way to be thinking, and you know it._

_Goddamnit!_

But a knock on the door and a jiggle of the handle, saved her from having to war with herself about whether or not to fuck this guy on a bathroom counter.

Someone apparently needed to use the bathroom … though that wasn't quite fair, because there were two. Maybe someone was making out in there as well? Whatever.

They both took their hands from the other's intimate areas. Loki stood, bent over, panting … his forehead resting on Darcy's shoulder, as she buried her face in his chest. Eventually, he straightened and took a step back, breathing as if he'd just ran a marathon, obviously a bit overcome.

"Are you sure you want to do this here?" he said, between breaths, looking at her with the hottest expression on his face, like he wanted to devour her alive.

"Um … kinda?" she said. "My body sure does … but uh, I guess this is kind of gross. It's a bathroom. And it seems like someone wants to use it."

Loki laughed. He really did have a beautiful smile, when he allowed himself to feel happy. He leaned back over and kissed her forehead. "I need to get you into a bed," he said, and in his sultry baritone … it almost made her say "fuck it".

_Bend me over this counter now, damnit!_

"Um." She blinked. "Yeah … a bed … a wall, a couch, some stairs … whatev."

He stepped back again, the usual storm in his eyes, calm … but the clouds still very dark. "A bed?"

Darcy nodded. "A bed."

She jumped off the counter. He watched hungrily as she stood in front of the mirror, pulling her socks back up, adjusting her bra from its skewed position over her bust, tugging her t-shirt down. Her hair was okay, but her lips looked swollen and thoroughly kissed.

_Oh well._

She looked at him expectantly, for him to follow her.

Loki shook his head. "I'm going to need a minute."

Darcy laughed. "Sorry, of course you do. I'll be at the counter with Thor and Jane."

She left him there for a few minutes while she sipped at her now-cold latte, totally in a daze over what just went down. She was so amped up, that she didn't notice Thor being upset. He and Jane had been so into talking to each other, that the fact Loki and Darcy had disappeared for a good ten minutes, didn't register … but when he noticed she came back alone, he almost flipped out.

"Where's Loki?" he demanded.

Darcy frowned. "He's in the bathroom … what's wrong?"

He shook his head. "I don't like it when Loki disappears into bathrooms after running into her." Thor pointed at the now empty table that Sig had occupied.

The girls looked at each other, confused.

Suddenly, it was like something clicked … and realization hit Darcy in the face. It was like in _Indiana Jones_ or _The Goonies_ , when someone leans against the wrong wall, or trips a wire, and it sets off a whole domino effect of trouble.

It dawned on her … why Thor didn't like to leave Loki alone, why he always took him home. Why someone had chastised Thor for putting Loki into uncomfortable situations upon just returning to Asgardia. Why Loki looked so spooked and ran out of the house that night …

_After I offered him a joint … oh, god … I offered him drugs._

The thing Thor said his brother would tell her on his own … if they became friends. She understood now.

It was why he'd been avoiding that girl Sig … why she looked like she did. Why Thor didn't like it when he disappeared into bathrooms.

She looked over at Thor, wanted to ease his mind … but it was kind of embarrassing. "I'm sorry, Thor … it's just. I mean … we were totally making out in the bathroom, okay?"

He stared back at her, a bit stunned, but not unhappy. His face slowly relaxed.

Darcy went on … "he's probably either just splashing cold water in his face, or jerking off in the stall … alright? Nothing more."

Jane started to laugh. "Go, Lewis!" she said.

But Darcy felt a little sick.

Thor smiled. "Ah. Well then … I'm sorry, Darcy. I didn't mean to … startle you."

"It's okay," she said, absentmindedly.

She'd gone from being blissfully high on sexual beginnings … sexual tension … and sexual promises, that the realization of what had been going on, gave her whiplash.

Darcy suddenly found that Loki had walked up to her, standing next to her. "Is everything okay?"

She looked up to find Thor grinning at him. "Doing well, brother?"

Loki gave him a suspicious look. "Yes. Fine."

Darcy stood up and took his hand, turning his palm over … tracing the lines there. It was like she'd just seen him for the first time. Understood him. Or least … felt like she was on the way to understanding. She was at least on the road … where as before, the car had never left the driveway.

"Walk me out?"

He inclined his head. "Of course."

Darcy took her cold latte, waved goodbye to Thor and Jane, and walked out the door with Loki, holding his hand.

"I want you to take me on our date tomorrow. I want to go see the movie."

Loki smiled. "Of course, I never planned not to."

She grinned. "I need you to buy me dinner first … before you get with this," she motioned towards herself. "I mean, what would you think of me … if I just let you come over, without having a proper date?"

He raised a brow. "I wouldn't think differently either way … but if you want to go the more traditional route, so be it."

Darcy smiled, reached up on her toes, and gave him a lingering kiss.

"I'll see you tomorrow night."

She turned to walk home. On the way up the hill, she decided that she wasn't sleeping with him until he leveled with her.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Lil Wayne song that Jane and Darcy were dancing to is "6 Foot 7 Foot" ... it is a masterfully catchy piece of modern rap music, with seriously ridiculous lyrics. If you've never heard it ... you should really give it a listen. But it'll make you want to dance ;-)
> 
> Also, regarding Sig ... I know Sigyn's name is pronounced Seeg-in ... but for this story, she's Sig. I keep thinking about Siggy from Vikings whenever I see Sigyn's name. So there we are.
> 
> Next up: Loki figures out who the pool boy is ... and finds that he likes movies with surgically enhanced racoons and talking trees.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Thor looks to the future, Erik explains to Loki why he and Darcy would never work out ... and Darcy feeds Loki guacamole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Work has been piling up over here. But here's a long one for you guys. Hope you like it! ;-)

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

_The last time I saw my mother, I was in a hospital bed …_

" _Loki," she said, relief in her voice. The way she said my name was always a bit different, as she still had a slight Swedish accent. It was different than the way my father said it … and that had always brought me comfort._

_I could feel the beginning … the creeping fear, the devastating feeling of withdrawal, the absolute wish for death to end the pain. Methadone doesn't cut it._

" _Hello, Mother … have I made you proud?"_

" _Don't make this worse."_

" _Define worse."..._

Work had been going slow as anytime Loki sat down to his laptop, all he wanted to do was bring up Darcy's blog, and read it from beginning to end … but he tried to reign himself in from being too much of an internet stalker. He'd read her last few posts, wondering what had inspired her to write the one she posted that day. Matzo ball soup. That must have been around the time of the events that Bucky had described. It would be natural for her to think on it with him being in town. He wondered if three years was enough time to get over such a thing. Does a wound like that ever completely heal. He wasn't sure … as he felt as if some of his were still gaping open, still bleeding all over the place.

Though he had to admit, things were certainly calmer. Chaos had left his life for the moment.

He read about Darcy's last conversation with her father … how he loved the title of her blog.

_Painting With Your Food._

Loki closed his eyes. What was the first thing he did upon meeting her?

_I questioned the title of her blog …_

He found himself staring at his screen more than anything … certainly no writing was happening.

After awhile, he had to shut the work down, as he'd received several emails from Tony Stark, or more like his assistant, asking if he'd write an op-ed about his friend Dr. Banner's new invention; a noble pursuit in increasing the quality of life of amputees, and specifically, decorated members of the armed services. Loki wrote op-eds every once in awhile for various publications, but this one he would flat-out refuse. Only if Bruce himself asked, would he even consider it … and it wasn't the type of thing that Banner would do.

Thor knocked on his door and barged in. "Loki!"

He turned around from his seat at the desk. "Thor. One is usually supposed to wait for an invitation to walk in after one knocks."

His brother frowned and looked around, feigning confusion. "Why? I do not see any girls in here."

Loki sighed. "Must everything be about girls."

Thor chuckled. "Loki. Jokes! People make them!"

He shook his head. "Okay. What is it that you want?"

Thor went and sat on the bed, kicking up his legs and putting his hands behind his head. "Well aren't you a ray of sunshine today … as per usual. I was just coming down to see if you're attending Tony Stark's party tonight."

"I don't see why I would."

"There's going to be an important presentation tonight … it'll be good for the university. Father wants us to attend."

Loki gave him a bored look. "Yes. I read all about it. They want me to write an op-ed."

Thor's face brightened. "Brother, that's wonderful! Getting back in the game!"

"I'm not so sure this is the way I want to get back in the game."

"You're concerned about some of the people who will be in attendance."

"That is one obstacle, yes."

"Loki, it's been almost two years."

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter, Thor. Do you not realize who I'd be writing the article about?"

His brother furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "Jane's friend … the one-armed soldier."

Loki nodded his head slowly. "Yes, Thor. The lad that Darcy can't even call by his actual name? Need I remind you?"

Thor clapped his hands. "That's another thing I wanted to tell you. I've invited Jane and Darcy! Jane happily accepted." He frowned momentarily … "she wishes to get acquainted with Bruce. But regardless, she was able to pull Darcy's arm eventually. We thought the two of you could … get to know each other better," he said, with a wink.

He looked at his brother incredulously. "Are you serious? I realize that it's Stark's seasonal beginning of fall party, or some other such nonsense, but it's just going to be one big circle jerk over the invention … all anyone is going to be talking about is Bucky Barnes. Why not just take me to the midnight showing in town of _Trainspotting_ while you're at it."

"Aren't you being a bit dramatic, Loki? It's a party … it won't all be about the soldier. I thought we could all have fun."

Loki stared at his brother for a few seconds. He would seem dramatic, as Thor wouldn't know the whole story. _He_ wasn't supposed to know the whole story.

"I realize that you're only trying to help, dear brother, and that you're only trying to bring people together, as you do ... but you and Jane are setting Darcy up for a very uncomfortable evening. I don't think you understand, as you've always been at ease everywhere, but for some of us … we like to avoid certain situations."

Thor looked at his brother, with a bit of an impressed grin on his face. Impressed that he hadn't spoken in anger, and impressed that he seemed to care so much. "You really like her, don't you."

Loki turned. "It doesn't matter."

His brother stood up. "Of course it does! Everything will be fine. I suppose then, you'll be going?"

Loki didn't respond.

Thor smiled. "Very well, then. Would you mind driving separately?"

A smile crept on Loki's face. "Wanting to spend some alone time with Jane?"

Thor shrugged. "She works so much. We don't have a lot time together."

Loki nodded. "Of course."

"Are you sure?"

"Thank you. I don't need to be babysat any longer."

"It's not babysitting, Loki."

"I know. I'll see you there later … I need to prepare myself, if I'm about to do this."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

After a brief phone conversation with Bruce, and a very long run to clear his head, Loki found himself a bit late to the party. Tony Stark's house was a shrine to himself, as usual … and all the same people were there. Thankfully, as he wound his way through the crowd of people, no one recoiled at the sight of him. He was able to spot Bruce and Thor quite easily, with Jane. But there was no Darcy.

Thor caught sight of him and waved him over. "Loki!"

He walked up to find Jane blushing over medical talk with Bruce. "Where's Darcy?" he asked her.

Bruce seemed to recognize her name. "Darcy," he said, recalling. "Yes, Jane … I was hoping that I didn't offend her. She seemed a bit … uncomfortable."

Jane shrugged and looked up at Loki. "She went to go find Steve. I have no idea why, but some people are assuming that Darcy and Bucky are together … and I didn't realize that this party was going to be so Bucky-centric. I was under the impression that it was just an annual thing."

Loki looked around, agitated. "It usually is."

Bruce had been listening to the exchange. "So the two of them are not together?"

Jane's eyes widened. "No. He … they … _no_." She shook her head, not being able to find the right words to explain without getting seriously personal.

Loki smiled and nodded at Jane and Thor before taking Bruce aside. "What gave you the impression that Darcy and the soldier are together?" he whispered.

Banner looked confused. "Wait … how do you know her?"

Loki sent his eyes upwards in frustration. "She's the blog writer," he said, between his teeth.

"Oh!" Bruce smiled, putting two and two together. "Ehhhh, Bucky just seemed to imply that the girl who went to see him … Darcy, was his girlfriend. He talked about her, said she was the girl in his photograph he carries around. He was coming out of sedation though … so, he might have just been a little confused. I also think he might be trying to prove something … Tony keeps teasing him about Steve Rogers, you know … implying they're _together_. All the time."

He frowned. "I'm going to go find her."

Loki walked away to find Darcy, scanning the rooms full of people … and once he found her, he stood for a few seconds to catch his breath. She looked stunning, like Ava Gardner in her satin red halter dress that fanned out from the waist. With her heels, she stood tall with her back perfectly straight, very commanding. She could have been walking the red carpet in old Hollywood.

He was about to step up to them when he heard her. "Okay, stop right there," she said, sounding upset.

Steve looked apologetic. "Sorry … it just seems like, you know … the timing is good. You said you weren't …"

It made Loki's blood simmer. He picked up a glass of wine from one of the serving tables and walked over to her, slipping his hand through her fingers.

"There you are, darling."

She looked up at him with surprise and relief in her eyes, and he swept her out of there as quickly as he could. It was short-lived, however, as Thor found him for the meeting … and a bunch of stuffy-looking old geezers, along with some of the university bigwigs, sat in a large room with a movie screen and boardroom chairs. Everyone was carrying around their glasses of liquor as if they were channeling their inner Dean Martin, shaking hands and congratulating each other.

The presentation itself was interesting at first, while Bruce was talking …. though the slides had way too many pictures of Bucky in them. Then Steve got up to talk, and Loki listened to twenty minutes of unintentional hilarity, as he described his fellow soldier and childhood friend the way one would talk about one's beloved. Thor kept nudging Loki's arm from beside him, every time Steve got a dreamy look in his eyes and said something like, "we would ride the Cyclone together at Coney Island."

"More like the tunnel of love," his brother whispered in his ear. Loki couldn't help but shake with silent laughter.

By the time Tony Stark stood up to speak, Loki had had enough, and the last thing he wanted to do was listen to the man talk about how wonderful he was. He could also feel Clint Barton drilling a hole through his head with his eyes from across the room, and it was making him very uncomfortable. He knew that he would have to face these people, socialize in the same circles, but Loki was done pushing himself for the evening. He got up to leave the room, ignoring Thor's curious gaze.

Eventually, he found Darcy and Jane on the dance floor with Steve's girlfriend … and Natasha Romanov. Loki didn't think she'd be too happy to see him, so he hung back, watching from across the room as they danced to 80's tunes. Clint then decided that he must have had enough of the meeting as well, as he arrived just before Darcy must have talked the DJ into playing rap music.

Jane had begun to look around the room nervously, obviously wondering where Thor was, so Loki tried to make himself invisible, as he didn't want to be spotted in front of Clint and Natasha … though he watched as they recited all the words to a rather colorful rap song, making the others around them laugh. They really were the kind of girls that could find the fun in anything. Are you stuck at a stuffy party? Play some rap music and drink more wine … not roll your eyes and complain, like Loki had been doing all night.

After awhile, one of the creative writing professors spotted him and began to chat … asking Loki whether or not he'd like to be a guest speaker in his class. He was telling the man that he'd love to, when out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Darcy running down the main hall to the entrance way. He excused himself, alarmed.

_Was she upset?_

He practically ran head-first into Jane, as he tried to catch up to see what was the matter.

"Here," she said, with a big drunken smile on her face, thrusting two glasses of wine into his hands. "Tell Thor we said 'bye' ... and that he sucks! Later!" And she turned to run after Darcy.

Loki frowned, set the wine glasses down on a nearby table, and walked quickly outside. He saw Darcy running towards a very tall blonde man who was waving at her … she was bunching the skirt of her dress up around her thighs. The man turned around and she jumped onto his back.

_She's not upset. She's ecstatic._

Loki felt his heart drop into his stomach. He could hear her screaming with laughter from the entrance way. Loki watched as Darcy bent down and kissed the man on the cheek, wrapping her arms around his neck, her strappy shoes hanging from her fingers.

Jane wasn't far behind, as she quite impressively ran in her heels … and when she caught up with him, she kissed him as well and took his hand. Loki looked on in confusion … but slowly, that familiar mask crept over his face. The one that hid everything. The mask that used to do such a good job, he was even hidden from himself.

"What's going on? Where's Jane?" Thor had just walked up behind him.

The girls were getting into a rather impressive convertible and driving away. Loki looked over to his brother. "It seems as if you didn't need to drive by yourself after all. A walking Ken Doll seems to have just out-Thor'ed the Mighty Thor."

He patted his brother on the shoulder and turned to take his leave as well.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

"The pool boy!? You don't even have a pool!"

Loki watched Thor pace around the library, tie loose around his neck … while he sat at his preferred spot at the desk. He tried to seem inconspicuous, acting as if he was scrolling through his phone, but he had a very sharp ear on the conversation.

"What? Clint always leaves such things early … he just disappears like a stealth ninja … like Batman or James Bond, both him and Natasha. I'm so sorry, Jane, but the meeting went on for what felt like forever … Tony Stark kept talking … I didn't want to be rude … let me come over and make it up to you," Thor pleaded, running his free hand through his hair.

Loki wondered if half of the reason why Thor wanted to go over to the girls' house, was to see who the supposed "pool boy" was.

His brother was about to say something into the phone, when he took it from his ear and stared at it.

"She … she just hung up on me," he said, staring at the screen, baffled.

Loki wasn't sure if Thor had ever experienced such a thing before … a woman hanging up on the epitome of male perfection.

Thor looked over at him, surprise written all over his face. "She just told me that I could make it up to her tomorrow ... _with my tongue_." A smile slowly formed on his mouth. "I … I'm going to marry this girl."

Loki frowned, not sure what to say. "You're joking? I … don't think I've ever heard you mention such a thing before."

His brother shook his head slightly. "No. I do not think women like Jane come around every day. And I hesitate to say this, because I don't want to be accused by you of having some sort of Oedipus complex … but she reminds me of Mother."

He shook his head. "No. I know what you mean. They have something … some spark. Some lust for life. Mother had it."

Thor narrowed his eyes. "They?"

Loki shrugged. "What does it matter? _They_ are with the … pool boy."

His brother gave a harsh laugh and a sad smile. "Oh, dear brother … you can admit to nothing, can you. Avoid … deflect all you want. But as I said before … women like that don't come along every day. I know. I've seen a lot of women. Darcy could very well be in your grasp … perhaps you shouldn't let this slip through your fingers."

Loki stood up to leave the room, walking towards the door, not wanting to engage in the conversation any longer.

"Brother."

Loki turned around to see that Thor had sat on the edge of the desk, looking at him intently. He hesitated at first, thinking of what to say. "I … I know that your trust isn't easily given, but don't be so quick to think the worst of them. I have only known Jane for a short time, but I trust her … that pool boy has a story, and I assure you, it's different than the one running through your head."

"Darcy and I haven't even spent a significant amount of time alone together … she owes me nothing. She's certainly allowed to go off with whomever she chooses."

Thor looked down and shook his head. "You are beyond reason sometimes. Mother was right … always so perceptive, about everyone but yourself."

Loki continued, walking through the door … having enough of Thor and his observations for one evening.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

"Dear gods, I must get out of here." Loki had stopped by the coffee shop with Thor for an evening latte, when he noticed Sig at her regular corner table.

His brother eyed what had him itching to leave. " _She's_ still here?"

"Evidently."

"Shouldn't she have graduated by now?"

"Perhaps she's been a bit distracted."

"Hmpf."

Loki turned to leave, when she spotted him and stood up. "Loki!" She walked over to their spot at the counter with stealth speed, as if knowing how close he was to darting out the door.

"Sig," he said. She looked slightly healthier than the last time he saw her, though not much. Her curves had disappeared a long time ago, but some of the light had returned to her eyes.

"I heard you were in town," she said. "But I don't know your new number."

"There's a reason for that," he said, without emotion.

She frowned. "Can I talk to you?"

"I really must be going." Loki badly wanted a latte, but stopping at Denny's for a cup of black swill would be preferable to enduring this.

"Please," she said, her hazel eyes pleading. Her hand dipped into her jeans pocket and she fished out a gold chip, which indicated two months of sobriety. "I need to make amends."

Loki had a very strong need to roll his eyes, but he stopped himself. It was probably the only thing she could have said to make him listen to her, as he didn't wish to deny anyone on their path to recovery … even if it was a dogmatic 12-step path that didn't exactly gel with him.

He took a deep breath and nodded, following her back to the table, and ignoring the angry stare Thor was directing at them.

When they sat, Sig tried to reach for his hand, and he jerked it away. "Do not presume that we have any sort of relationship," Loki said, looking at her intently, so she wouldn't misread a thing. "I am merely conversing with you to support your sobriety."

She looked up at him, hurt. "Fine."

"Say what you're going to say."

"Can't we be friends?"

Loki shook his head. "Absolutely not."

"I thought you wanted to support my sobriety?" she said, defiant.

He clenched his jaw. "I'd also like to support mine."

"But we're both sober."

He put his head in his hands. "No, Sig. We bring out the worst in each other … we're too much alike. I must be around people … friends, who help to balance me, who call me out … and do not enable. People who are honest."

"I can be honest."

He sighed. "Perhaps, but you're going to need to figure that out with someone else. Say what you need to say."

"Okay," she nodded, looking down. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry about everything that happened … how everything got ruined. I did love you … I still love you. And I realize now that I'm powerless over my addiction."

Loki put his hands across his mouth, propped up by his elbows on the table, before he said something regrettable. He didn't wish to hear her speak of love and power. Being powerless was something that never sat right with him. Owning one's mistakes and taking responsibility for one's actions, was harder to do, but in the end, much more comforting to him … it took the power back. But if this worked for her … then it worked for her.

When he didn't say anything, Sig continued. "I'm doing well … this will be my last year, I'm finishing up my degree … and putting the finishing touches on my novel."

_Don't talk to me about your novel. DO NOT talk to me about your novel._

"I was wondering if you'd read what I had so far?" she asked.

He stared at her disbelievingly. Still the same old story. A sponge … a parasite. Just a sober one, apparently.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a flash of color coming towards him. Loki glanced over to see Darcy in a red band t-shirt, a short black skirt … and multi-colored tights. She looked … absolutely delightful.

All thoughts of Sig left his brain in a flash, as he watched her hips sway towards him.

Loki took his hands from his face and sat up to greet her, but she didn't stop her movements as she arrived at the table, instead bending down, grabbing his face … and planting a kiss on his lips.

She lingered. He found himself kissing her back.

_What's this? … her lips are so very soft._

Darcy broke the kiss and looked at him with her wide eyes and their strange blue warmth. "There you are, darling," she said, softly, using his words. "I'm so sorry I'm late."

It took him a second to remember the situation at hand … and his own name, for that matter. "Ah. That's … quite alright. Em. Darcy … this is Sig."

He motioned across the table and Darcy looked over to see Sig … who was looking very unhappy. Loki suppressed a smile.

Darcy plastered a fake smile on her face. "Sig? I'm Darcy."

"Nice to meet you," Sig mumbled.

Darcy continued to play her game. "Sig … I haven't heard that name before. Is that short for something? Like … maybe Sigourney? Sigourney Weaver? Were your parents big fans of the _Alien_ franchise? I love _Alien_!"

Loki couldn't help it, he laughed. Here was someone who made him forget his melancholy nature with one sentence. Here was someone who balanced him out.

_If only …_

"No," Sig said curtly. "It's a family name."

Darcy nodded. "Ah." She put her attention back on Loki. "Okay, well … we'll be over there … _babe_."

She turned around and walked over to where Thor and Jane were sitting at the counter … the two of them having very satisfied looks on their faces.

"Is _she_ the reason why we can't be friends?" Sig asked, bringing Loki back down to Earth.

"I'm sorry?" he said, not understanding at first, but then he remembered who he was talking to. "Em. No, Sig. We can't be friends because of _us_. Not because of her." He stood. "If you'll excuse me, I really must take my leave … I hope you've said what you needed to say," and he walked away, without letting her respond.

He only had one thing on his mind now … _Darcy_. But she looked as if she was about to leave, having picked up a latte to go.

Perhaps they were alike after all, with their evening latte habit … though hopefully not _too_ much alike.

He grabbed her elbow a little harder than me meant to, as so many emotions were coursing through him. Elation at the kiss. Confusion and misplaced anger from last night.

"I need to speak with you."

She reluctantly agreed, allowing him to guide her to the back bathrooms so they could speak privately, though she didn't seem happy about it.

"What's going on?" she asked, after he shut the door.

"Are you … _toying_ with me?"

"What?" She looked perplexed. "No!"

"What was that?" he asked.

She shook her head in confusion. "Thor said you didn't like talking to her. I was … just returning the favor … you know, from last night. When you …"

"Yes, yes … I know what you mean." Loki ran his hands through his hair, in one of his nervous gestures. "I don't understand you, Darcy."

_Did she not understand?_

"Huh?"

"You left! Last night … with …"

She laughed, as if what he suggested was ridiculous. "With the pool boy?"

_Perhaps my assumptions had been unfounded?_

He bent down to search her eyes, the blue warmth. "So you were just returning the favor. Is that all it was?"

Darcy continued to look at him, not breaking contact. "Well … I mean … no?"

_What was her game?_

He took a step forward, put his hand on her soft cheek, bent down and kissed her … starting back up where they left off. She responded, reaching up to hold onto his arm. Sweet relief washed over him.

_Perhaps there was no game?_

What happened next was a blur. There was no explanation for it. One minute he was giving her the lightest of kisses, and the next, he had her sitting on the ledge, her legs cradling him … and she was wearing thigh-highs with boots.

 _Thigh-highs with boots!_ _Even if they were rainbow-colored._

He kissed her, but let her direct, as he still couldn't believe this was happening, and he didn't want to overstep any boundaries. When she pressed up against him, he pressed back … when she put her hand up his shirt … he mirrored her. And dear gods, when she put his hands on her breasts he felt as if all reason, any semblance of control, left him.

She was so soft, smelled so wonderful, tasted so exquisite … he couldn't help but let his fingers climb up her thigh, as they were so beautifully wrapped around him. When she opened her legs further for him, he couldn't help but search for that perfect spot. He so wanted to watch as pleasure washed across her face. He wanted to give her that pleasure.

And then she found his cock, painfully hard, and he found his eyes rolling back in his head, as his hips instinctively thrusted forward, his long-dormant body unashamedly begging for more, now awakened, starving, and unrestrained.

As Darcy began to unbuckle his belt, he went for her panties … wanting nothing more than to bury himself between her thighs … but a knock on the door broke the spell.

He took a moment to breath and stepped back.

"Are you sure you want to do this here?"

She grinned, shyly. "Um … kinda? My body sure does … but uh, I guess this is kind of gross. It's a bathroom. And it seems like someone wants to use it."

He couldn't help but laugh … feeling giddy.

Loki bent to kiss her forehead. "I need to get you into a bed" … and then it seemed as if they made tentative plans for finding said comfort that night.

After she left the bathroom, so that he could collect himself, he took a long look at himself in the mirror.

He hadn't allowed himself this sort of pleasure in a while.

_Was it time?_

He also couldn't find himself in bathrooms, splashing cold water on his face, for very much longer. This was starting to become ridiculous.

As he walked up to the counter where his brother, Jane, and Darcy were sitting, he could tell that something had changed. Some shift in the mood. Darcy didn't shy away from him, taking his hand and tracing a pattern on his palm with her finger … but there was some unspoken distance. He shivered from her tender touch across his skin. It was an almost sad touch.

Loki looked up to find Thor grinning at him. "Doing well, brother?"

He frowned. "Yes. Fine."

_What had happened?_

"Walk me out?"

He inclined his head. "Of course."

She held his hand the whole time as they walked out of the coffee shop.

"I want you to take me on our date tomorrow," she said. "I want to go see the movie."

Loki smiled. "Of course, I never planned not to."

She grinned. "I need you to buy me dinner first … before you get with this … I mean, what would you think of me … if I just let you come over, without having a proper date?"

_Perhaps she didn't want to appear wanton?_

Her showing open desire for him … it could never make him think less of her in a million years. Quite the opposite.

"I wouldn't think differently either way … but if you want to go the more traditional route, so be it."

Darcy smiled. She reached up on her toes and kissed him, pressing her soft mouth to his for a long moment.

"I'll see you tomorrow night," she said.

He watched as she walked down the main street, on the way up the hill. Perhaps it was better this way. Best to take things slower, best to take their time.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Loki avoided Thor all day on Sunday, not wanting to endure any of his advice on what to do with girls … and when, and how. He did, however, call up Bruce before knocking on Darcy's door. He felt like a schoolboy, awkward, and nervous.

When she opened her door, he stood there, blank for a second. She was wearing hip-hugging jeans and boots, and a nice peasant-style black top that accentuated the curves of her breasts. He was going to be distracted all evening.

"Come in?" she said. "I have to put away a few things I've been working on."

"Of course."

Darcy led him into the kitchen, where she had her laptop open and a dish of pasta that she'd been photographing. She started putting things into plastic containers and into the fridge.

"New blog post?"

She nodded. "Yep. Penne with gorgonzola cream sauce and walnuts."

Loki smiled. "Are you sure you'd rather just not have dinner here?" It looked amazing.

Darcy shook her head. "Nah … I've been having little tastes of it all day. I'm tired of it," she laughed.

"I hope you're not putting all that deliciousness away!" He heard an assertive voice from behind float into the room.

Loki turned to see the anatomically perfect Ken Doll from the drive at Tony Stark's house … in nothing but an undershirt and boxer-briefs. He all of a sudden felt very uncomfortable, wanting to leave immediately.

_Was this man staying in their house? What was he … the girls' pet?_

Darcy must have seen the offended look on Loki's face. She angrily looked at the so-called "pool boy".

"What the fuck, Erik! What are you doing walking around with no pants on?"

The man looked down briefly and then back up. "What? I've been working all day and it helps me to think." He winked. "And it's nothing you haven't seen before." He stepped over and bumped hips with her.

Loki's eyes went wider.

Darcy looked at him. "Don't you dare think what you're thinking, Loki. This isn't what it looks like."

Erik only stood there and smirked, looking like he was having way too much fun, which only angered Loki more. He started to turn and leave the kitchen.

"Stop right there, Loki!" Darcy shouted. "Watch this." She pointed at the man like she was about to do a magic trick. "Erik! … VAGINA!"

The man stood there unaffected. He rolled his eyes. "That's not going to work on me anymore, Darcy. I know now that the vagina is a beautiful thing, and they send forth life and creation … and pleasure … _for some_." he said, teasing.

Loki was beginning to understand.

Darcy shook her head. "Oh, _now_ you decide not to have a problem with vaginas. Okay … how 'bout this … Erik! … EATING PUSSY!"

Erik visibly cringed, looking like he'd just downed a bag of Sour Patch Kids. "Goddamn it, Darcy … I was wanting to eat dinner, not think about eating at the 'Y'," he chided, with a grin on his face. "I never liked that particular restaurant, too dark and cave-like. I've always preferred a more open-air experience … something a bit more … external."

Loki slowly smiled and Darcy began to laugh.

Erik looked between the two of them. "Ohhhh," he said … "you thought?" He motioned between himself and Darcy. "Oh, honey no," he said to Loki. "It would never work out between us. We're both tops."

"Erik, shut up," Darcy said. "This is Loki Odinson … Loki, Erik Selvig."

Erik held out his hand and Loki shook it. "It's a pleasure," he said, wondering where he'd heard the name before, as he looked a bit familiar.

The man smirked. "The pleasure is mine, I assure you. Though I am neither a pool boy or a Ken Doll, as I hope you can tell," he said, motioning to his boxer-briefs, alluding to the fact that Ken had nothing going on underneath his.

"Erik! Get your pasta and put that away."

He opened the fridge, grabbed a plate, and ruffled Darcy's hair. Erik then turned to go back to his guestroom. "It was nice to meet you Loki, hopefully we can all hang out soon … but I've gotta run … I have a video conference in 5 minutes. I love having meetings with people who have no idea I'm not wearing pants. Good evening to you both."

"Evening," Loki said, a bit taken aback at what had just happened.

He turned to see that Darcy was looking at him with a frown. "You shouldn't jump to conclusions, Loki. Jane and I are close … but we're not _that close_. Like, we've never taken a guy home and had a threesome … and especially not when she's like, dating someone."

"I … you're right." Loki looked down. "Forgive me."

She laughed. "You're so formal."

He glanced back up and smiled. "It's my upbringing."

Darcy raised her eyebrow and gave him a sultry look. "Are you always so formal? Like … in every situation?"

He could only guess as to what she was referring to. "Absolutely not," he said, with a mischievous grin.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

They walked down the hill, as taking a car to drive around campus was pointless, as everything was within a short distance.

"Movie first?" she asked. "We can make the 6 o'clock. I'm dying to see it."

Loki smiled at her excitement for the film, it was as if she was a kid. "Of course, whatever you like."

And so they went about seeing the tale of the surgically enhanced racoon and talking tree, at the little theatre in town. He was skeptical at first, as it wasn't the type of film he preferred … blockbusters were usually so pedestrian and one-dimensional, but he found himself laughing quite a bit … mainly because Darcy's unrestrained laughter made him feel like he could let go as well.

And the blue Icee she made him get wasn't too bad either.

As they walked down the street on the way to dinner, she danced as they did in the film. He followed behind as she tried to mimic the talking tree's arm movements, as well as the style of irreverent dancing employed by the film's main hero.

"Oh my god, he was the best!" Darcy said, as she skipped along, singing a power ballad from one of the film's soundtrack. "It was a movie about dancing! Dancing saved the universe, Loki!" She twirled around, and Loki found himself wanting to pick her up and hold on, never letting go.

_So excited … over a movie._

He grinned. "That big purple fellow needs to learn how to find better minions, if dancing is what ultimately brought down the main adversary."

She shook her head and smiled. "Okay, it was the power of surprise … along with the dancing," she amended. "So what's good around here? I haven't had time to scope out the Asgardia restaurant scene," she said.

He thought for a moment. "Em. There's quite a few establishments featuring wings … and sandwiches filled with things like french fries and fried macaroni and cheese. Also, pizza places. Typical college food."

"Stoner food," she said, and then frowned.

"There's an interesting Mexican restaurant around the corner … it's a co-op."

"Hippies?"

"Naturally."

After they sat down, she didn't order wine like he expected her to, but instead got a Diet Coke and immediately ordered guacamole.

He wondered why she decided against the wine, as it seemed like she and Jane always drank it with dinner. Loki assumed it was just a way of life for her, growing up with an Italian mother.

_Did she not want to let down her inhibitions?_

He hoped she didn't think he'd ever take advantage of her.

When their chips and guacamole came, she dove in, taking a big crunchy bite. "Mmmm, there's nothing like guacamole, it's so fucking good … even if it's gringo guacamole, like this. I mean, they put corn in here. What the hell is that about?"

He watched as she talked about her food throughout dinner. She ordered a horchata after finishing her Diet Coke and acted as if she fell in love with it, rolling her eyes in the back of her head after taking a sip. She talked about flavor combinations and textures, and made him try everything, asking for his thoughts.

He'd never seen someone take such pleasure in such simple things before.

When her dessert came, she picked up the plate and inspected it. It was a dish of fried corn cake balls and little scoops of cinnamon ice cream. "Deconstructed Mexican fried ice cream," she observed. "Erik would love this."

Loki was curious about the man. "So … your friend, have you known him long? He kind of looks familiar."

"Erik?" she smiled.

He nodded.

"Um. Yeah. He used to work for my uncle. Me and Jane met him while we were in high school … he came to New York from Sweden, and was going to NYU for physics … but he had a change of heart."

"What did he switch to?"

"Well … he was working in my uncle's kitchen while going to school ... and he decided that he wanted to become a chef instead. He didn't want to completely give up the science though, so he studied molecular gastronomy. He loved science, but hated stuffy scientists. He says he likes kitchen culture better, because cooks know how to have fun. You can be yourself in a kitchen. It's true."

Loki started to finally place him. "He owns that popular restaurant in Manhattan! The one with all those dishes that defy the laws of gravity. And foams and vapors … using things like liquid nitrogen and centrifuges."

Darcy smiled. "Yep. And he's been working on opening another one in Vegas."

"And is he not also … on television?"

"Yeah. He's been a judge on one of those cooking shows. He's known as the outspoken sassy guy … he won't pull any punches. It's why I like working with him, he gives it to me straight."

Loki nodded. "Right. Of course. I've seen that show before."

She laughed. "You watch reality television?"

"Just the cooking ones. They've been known to be therapeutic ... at times." Darcy smiled at him, though she looked a bit sad. She went back to her dessert.

He frowned, wanting to continue the conversation. "What restaurant does your uncle own?"

She shrugged. "Oh, he owns a little bistro in Brooklyn … and maybe, a few other places ..." her voice trailed off.

"Who is your uncle?"

"Um. Dario DeLuca."

"Your uncle is Dario DeLuca?"

"You've heard of him?"

"I live part-time in New York, Darcy. Yes, I've heard of him." The man was a renown Italian chef.

To say he was surprised, was an understatement. At times, women had been known to throw themselves at him, and especially at Thor, just because of their status as relatively well-known people. Thor much more so, as he went on into the NFL. But Jane and Darcy … these girls obviously didn't want or need them because of all that. They were friends with a famous chef and acted like it was no big deal. They never even mentioned it.

Loki had terribly misjudged her at the beginning … calling her a "star fucker" … and oh, gods, she had understood the Italian.

He looked at her … there was a remorseful feeling stuck in his throat. "Do you have any other famous family members?" he asked.

She smiled and shook her head. "No. My brother … he thinks he's Indiana Jones, he's getting his PhD in archeology … or as my dad would say, a degree in poor. Same as me. My mom is an art dealer and my dad was an entertainment lawyer."

"All very interesting professions," he said, noticing that she referred to her father in the past tense … but he didn't think now would be the time to ask her about such things.

"How 'bout your parents?" she asked, seeming to want to steer the conversation away from herself.

Loki blinked rapidly, unsure of how to answer. "Em. My father … he's the president of the university."

Darcy giggled. "Oh, sorry … duh!"

"My mother … she always worked in the non-profit sector, involved in various charities."

She looked at him for several moments, probably thinking over whether or not to ask about his own parental past-tense concession.

"You have a lot of success in your family, then," she said, obviously deciding not to pry.

He was relieved. "And yours as well."

She shrugged. "Yeah … it's a bit daunting sometimes… we'll see what happens with me and my bro's generation. We come from immigrants who were very driven … on both sides of my family."

Loki shook his head. "You are already a success. Book offers. A wildly popular blog. And acceptance into your grad program. Do not downplay that."

She fiddled with her ice cream. "I have trouble with admitting that stuff. At the end of the day, when I look in the mirror … I just see a silly girl."

He frowned. "You're not."

She laughed. "Oh, yes I am … I'm definitely silly. Have you met me?"

Loki grinned. "Well … yes, you are, but in the best sense."

Darcy visibly blushed.

"You're not good at taking compliments."

She shook her head.

He reached his hand across the table and took hers, which had been fiddling with a fork.

He looked at her intently. "Get used to it."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

After Loki walked Darcy home, she invited him in … and he found himself on her couch, and not in her bedroom.

She flipped through the channels on the television and settled on a reality cooking show. "So … tell me about yourself," she said, with her hands in her lap.

He was confused. "Haven't we been doing that?"

Darcy shrugged. "Sorta."

"What do you want to know?"

She tapped a finger to her mouth playfully, as if in deep thought. "Hmmm. Tell me about your writing."

Loki took a deep breath and acquiesced, though he didn't exactly wish to be talking. "I've been writing ever since I can remember. When I was sixteen, my first book was published … it was a story I'd been working on for years."

Darcy opened her mouth in surprise. "Sixteen!? What book?"

He smirked. "Most people don't connect the dots … not that I want them to. It was a children's book about a dragon. There is a series of them. They were published under a different name to preserve my anonymity, since Coulson said that a teenage author wouldn't be taken seriously."

"What name?"

"Loki Laufeyson."

Her face lit up. "HOLY SHIT, you wrote Narfi! _The Mischievous Nature of Narfi the Dragon_!"

He nodded.

"I LOVED THOSE BOOKS!" She practically jumped off the couch. "OH MY GOD, I'm gonna do the Tom Cruise couch-jump! I'm sitting on a couch with the author of Narfi the Dragon!"

Loki laughed. "If I would have known you would have this reaction, I would have told you a lot sooner."

She looked on in shock. "Why don't you want people to know you wrote those books?"

He shrugged. "They don't really go with the genre I'm working with at the moment."

"So what you're saying is ... that the literary bitches wouldn't take you as seriously if they knew you once wrote about dragons?"

"Perhaps."

Darcy shook her head. "Man, I loved those books."

"I'm glad you liked them … obviously, not the same reaction to the one that has actually won awards."

She gave him a guilty smile. "Meh. I've read that book a million times, just with different titles … it's all literary and shit," She used the quotation symbol with her fingers when saying "literary".

"What do you mean?"

"Proper literature … It just means it's either about a white dude that just arrived in New York, or a white dude that just left New York. Everything else is classified as 'genre' … urban fantasy, sci-fi, young adult … god forbid something a woman wrote for young adults be known as 'literature'."

"I don't think you gave my book much of a chance … only the first part is set in New York," he said, defensively.

Darcy gave a little laugh. "Maybe. I'll revisit it. But I don't relate to the straight white dude struggle … I do however, relate to dragons."

He couldn't help but laugh. "Straight white dude struggle?"

"Yeah … a dude who grew up with every privilege and didn't even know it. Straight. White. Male. Is blind to the struggles of actual minorities, thinks the sun rises and sets around them. If shit happened to them, they think it's the shittiest shit that ever shitted. They usually mope around in their novels, thinking about banging chicks, grabbing coffee, and having some played-out boring existential crisis … all while listening to Neutral Milk Hotel, or some shit."

Loki stared at her for a few seconds, deciding to accept her challenge … though she didn't realize she had started one.

He threw caution to the wind. "Perhaps you'll like my next book then, it's different than your average 'straight white dude struggle', as you say."

She smiled. "You're memoir? What's it about? Dragons?"

He took another deep breath. "More like _chasing_ the dragon. It's about drug addiction … and how I overcame it. How I live with it."

The mood instantly changed. Darcy froze and stared at him for a few seconds. "Drug addiction?"

Loki nodded. "Heroin. I haven't touched it in nearly two years."

"Heroin."

"It started with prescription pain medication … and escalated from there."

She nodded.

"I … I understand if this changes things, Darcy. But know that, in the grand scheme of things, I'm in a good place, as far as sobriety goes. I know heroin … it sounds bad, but ..."

Darcy held up a hand. "It's cool, Loki. I'm not a stranger to recreational drug use."

"Have you tried …"

She shook her head. "No, not heroin … but I know what prescription pain medicine is like. I took it when … well, I was sick. They gave it to me at the hospital. Those pills make you feel pretty damn good. Especially when nothing else feels good." Her eyes went very far away.

Loki wondered what kind of sickness required a prescription for pain meds. Perhaps she was talking about her miscarriage … something he wasn't supposed to know about, and he wouldn't pry.

"Does this … change things?"

She looked over to him and took his hand … it seemed as if she was mulling over some kind of decision. He was almost thinking she was about to let him down easy, when she came to her conclusion. She sat up to straddle his lap, moving her thighs over his legs.

She took the hand she was holding and kissed it. "This changes nothing," she said.

Loki felt as if his heart would melt … after it exploded, of course. The pieces would then melt.

"I'm glad that you feel like you can trust me," she said. "Thank you for telling me these things. I'm so glad you leveled with me. Like, so seriously glad." She leaned down to kiss him.

As the kiss began to grow deeper, he broke it momentarily and looked up at her. "Truly?"

Darcy frowned. "Yes! Truly, now shut up and kiss me."

In response, he wrapped his arms around her and granted her wish … he kissed her. He kissed her with the ardor of a man who hadn't seen his lover in years.

"Is anyone home?"

She shook her head.

Wanting to pick up where they left off at the coffee shop, he lifted her and laid her down on the couch, as he lowered himself on top of her. She automatically wrapped her legs around his waist, something he was beginning to think was one of the best feelings in the world.

His hands were under her shirt as she tugged on his, trying to take it off. He sat up for a moment, grabbed it from behind and pulled it over his head, then promptly went back to his work. In order to get to where they were, he had to do a little bit more manoeuvring this time … skirts were just so much easier sometimes. He unbuttoned her jeans and slowly unzipped the zipper, to give her time to stop him if she wanted him to.

Apparently she didn't want him to, as she took his hand and guided it below, and under her panties. When he again, found the spot … this time, nothing covered it but warmth and slick wetness. She began to writhe underneath him, driving him crazy in the process.

"Loki … please," she said, as she moaned.

Watching the pleasure on her face was something he craved, her completion something he needed to see, and she was begging him for it. It made everything inside of him radiate, and it made him painfully hard.

The girl … she accepted it. The whole deal. For this, he would again, grant her wish.

Loki removed his hand and swiftly changed their positions, so that she was sitting up on the couch, and he was on his knees in front of her. She seemed a bit surprised by the suddenness, but didn't seem to object. He took her boots and socks off one by one, and then tugged her jeans and underwear off in one forceful movement. She gave a little gasp.

He grabbed her thighs and brought her ass to the edge of the couch, though she seemed a little apprehensive, as she didn't open her knees to him as she had before.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice low and soft.

Darcy gave a shy smile. "This position is a little up close and personal … wouldn't you say?"

He leaned in and kissed her, slowly inching his fingers up her leg. "Up close and personal … is there any other way to do this?" When he reached her clit again, she moaned.

"Touche," she breathed.

He slid a finger inside and she practically came apart … opening her legs to him fully, hungrily. A bit of male pride surged through him as he bent his head for a taste. Sweet, briny … heady. He licked from where his finger was slowly moving in and out of her, to just above her clit, all while keeping his eyes on her face. This is what she'd been talking about, the closeness of this particular position. Most of the time, a girl was lying on her back, disconnected, while the man stayed hidden between her thighs. This way … she could see everything.

Loki grabbed one of her legs and placed it over his shoulder, settling himself on his knees in a comfortable spot, and he went about his mission to make her scream, teasing at first … a kiss here, a nibble there, perhaps a little sucking, but not for long. She'd said "please" so nicely, after all.

"Oh, my god … Loki," she sighed, as he began to circle around with his tongue, finding a steady rhythm and pressure. Her breathing became heavy, her chest rising up and down, and he could see her stomach muscles clench … it made his cock pulsate as it strained against his pants. Eventually, Darcy's legs began to shake and he could feel her rocking her hips to meet his mouth, nearing climax.

She reached down and threaded her fingers through his hair, almost massaging the back of his head with her hands … a request.

"Harder," she commanded.

He followed orders, adding more pressure, running his tongue over her a little faster.

Loki looked up as she threw her head back and gasped before crying out so loud, that if anyone had been home, they most definitely would have heard it. He smiled as he gave her a few more intimate kisses, helping her to come down from orgasm. Her body went slack, the beautifully agonizing tension released.

As Darcy took a moment to breath, he kissed up and down her thighs. He then sat up to kiss her mouth, and she reached for him, throwing her arms around his shoulders. "You're so good at that."

He gave a low chuckle. "All I did was take direction."

"Okay, then you take direction well," she said, her voice breathy. "Here's another one … take me up to the bedroom."

_I don't need to be told twice._

Loki easily picked her up from the couch by her legs, which she wrapped around him for support, and he began walking them through the house and up the steps, holding onto her bare ass. It took every ounce of self-control not to just set her down on the stairs so that he could finally undo his pants and fuck her into oblivion.

_But that doesn't sound too comfortable._

He opened the door to her room and toppled onto the bed with her, going for her lips, her tongue.

She shook her head. "Loki, the door … shut it!"

Loki sat up and shook his head out. "Right."

As he shut the door, she had gotten up on her knees, and she pulled him back down on the bed, straddling him.

Darcy ran her hands around his chest, smiling … then went right for his belt buckle, undoing it, unbuttoning his jeans … pulling down the zipper.

_Oh, thank the gods._

He helped her push his jeans and boxers down, and his cock bounced free, finally feeling the cool open air. She sat, straddling him, and looked down for a moment, still in her movements, a look of determination on her face.

"Is something wrong?"

"Huh?" She looked up, wide-eyed. "Oh, no … definitely not wrong. At all. I'm just planning a strategy. Loki, you're … like, huge."

He laughed. "Em … sorry?"

"Stop being sorry! Oh my god, don't be sorry." She bent down and kissed the head of his cock. He groaned, stretching back, anticipating what was about to happen … gorgeous attention being paid to his dick.

Her hands roamed around his torso, tracing the muscles, her fingers brushing around his hips. She then began with little kisses and nibbles … here and there, like he did with her, and driving him mad in the process. He needed enclosure. He needed slick warmth. Finally, she took him in her mouth as much as she could, wrapping her hand around what she couldn't … and he let out a sound that one usually does when punched in the stomach. Such an exquisite punch in the stomach.

Her rhythm, her tongue, her lips … they were masterful. He momentarily wondered if having a gay best friend helped girls to understand what to do, and how, and why … such strange things to go through his head while having his dick sucked. And oh, he could now tell Thor to go fuck himself, as he was taking his advice and getting it sucked most-remarkably. He put his hand on her head, brushing back the soft long hair that was fanned around her face … so that he could watch her working him.

It wasn't long, an almost embarrassingly short amount of time actually, before he was tugging on her shoulder, letting her know that he was close … in case she didn't want him to finish with her mouth where it currently was. She only hummed in response, which must have been a sign that she didn't care … and it was a good thing, because the vibration is what tipped him over the edge. He came hard, another brilliant punch to the stomach, the climax coming in intense waves as the pleasure poured out of him. He lay there, undone, panting, staring at the ceiling. Euphoric.

Darcy sat up and gently pumped him a few times, while the sensations ebbed, before climbing off and laying down next to him. He immediately held her to his chest.

"Do you have condoms?" she asked.

Loki frowned, realizing he'd made a huge mistake. "Em. No. I'm sorry, Darcy … I've been a bit out of practice with this sort of thing. I forgot."

"It's cool. We're both good and satisfied."

He smiled. "Are we?"

"Hmmhmm."

Loki ran his hand up and down her back … she still had her shirt on.

_How did that happen?_

"If it makes you feel any better," Loki said. "I've been thoroughly tested for everything and anything you could possibly think of … and I'm clean. All negative."

She looked up at him, confusion on her features.

He immediately realized where her mind must have went. "No. Not because I frequented brothels and things of that nature … but because of … needles."

Darcy's frown softened. "Needles."

She yawned. "It's cool, yo." She reached down for the quilt at the edge of the bed and covered them with it. "I'm gonna be a dude now and fall asleep after orgasm … hope you don't mind. I'm tired."

Loki laughed. "I don't mind at all."

He was asleep within seconds.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

He woke up to an alarm and Darcy jumping out of bed, naked from the waist down. It was a pretty delightful sight … too bad she wasn't fully naked.

"SHIT!" she yelled.

"What's wrong," he asked groggily.

"I forgot to change my alarm for 8 AM, I have to go in earlier today. I have a meeting!" She ran around the room, finding underwear and a pair of jeans to hop into, and then disappeared into the bathroom.

When she came back into her bedroom, she threw a few things into her messenger bag and put it over her shoulder.

"Hang out as long as you want … just make sure to lock the door when you leave," she said, and she was out the door.

Loki sat up and looked around, recovering from what seemed like a case of whiplash.

Darcy then burst back into her room, bent over the bed, and gave him a wet good morning kiss, tasting of tooth paste. "Sorry!" she said, "I just needed to do that before I left. Bye!"

Loki smiled. He was worried that the morning would be awkward. But he had awoken shirtless, and with his pants undone, next to a half-naked girl … and then she kissed him goodbye.

_Not a bad start to the day._

When he returned home, he found Coulson standing at the back door … as he had just rolled up.

The man was carrying a plant, an animal carrier … and was holding Fenrir by a leash. He looked like a wolf, but was an Alaskan Malamute, and he had the world's sweetest disposition. Loki had sent for his pets, but hadn't realized Coulson would come personally. Something was up.

Fenrir automatically went insane as soon as he saw his master, and Coulson let go of the leash. The dog practically knocked him over, he was so happy to see him. Loki bent down and let Fenrir greet him with a series of licks, and he reached up to scratch playfully behind the dog's ears.

A very good start to the day, indeed.

_Well, except for the Coulson part._

_Okay … even Coulson was alright for today._

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Darcy makes more discoveries in her house, but this time Eric is the culprit ... and Bucky gets his surgery.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Erik finds something naughty, Steve is sorry, and Darcy makes a discovery or two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YO! This chapter has been delayed due to holiday craziness, which I'm sure all of you had to endure as well.
> 
> The song mentioned in the chapter is "Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell ... there's also a Janet Jackson version ("Got Til It's Gone") ... and a Counting Crows version, but it's not nearly as good as Janet's ;-)
> 
> It was also mentioned in previous chapters.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

_Next post coming soon guys ... grad school, and maybe a few other things, have got me a bit distracted ..._

Darcy updated her Twitter account while trying to keep her mind in check. She couldn't think about anything having to do with her studio class … or keep her attention on what her professor was saying about the progress the students should be making with their portfolios. The only thing she could think about was Loki. The movie. Dinner. Loki. It had been the first time she'd sat directly across from him, and watched his face intently while he talked … he did a cute thing with his mouth at times, moving half of his lower lip downward when he pronounced certain vowels. She found it unbelievably cute. And she found it endearing that he'd have an evening of low-brow fun with her, watching a blockbuster and enjoying it, laughing while sipping on his blue icee … and then at dinner, allowing her to shove a chip piled with guacamole into his mouth.

And then there were the other things …

She thought of his face when he was coaxing her with his fingertips … like he was overcome with as much pleasure as she was. His eyes intent on hers, his jaw clenched. And the lean muscles of his torso, so much better than she had imagined on Jane's old porch, the first day she met him. The delicious "V" of his hips as she brushed her hands over them … how he sighed with pleasure and perhaps contentment. He truly was a classic painting, executed by one of the old masters.

She could still feel the warm skin of his back with her hands, as he moved on top of her.

_Oh, God … what is it like?_

To have that back moving on top of her while he's also moving inside of her?

_And holy shit, his ..._

She had to quit that particular line of thinking … everyone in the meeting could probably see her blushing.

"Darcy."

She was brought out of her Loki daydreams and turned around to see Steve trying to get her attention, when the professor took a break.

"Wassup?" she blinked.

He looked a bit sheepish. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry if I said anything rude on Friday night … I was drinking a bit too much wine to calm my nerves. I feel like all I did at the party was say stupid things."

Darcy smiled at him, unable to stay mad at his incredibly cute face ... and she was just in too good of a mood to care about his brotherly loyalty to Fucky. "It's cool, yo. Did you and Sharon have fun?"

He shrugged. "Maybe after a little while. Thanks for keeping her company while I was in that horrible meeting. She said you and Jane ran out of there though … everything okay?"

She grinned. "Dude. Totally. Erik is in town! He came to pick us up."

Steve laughed. "Oh, god. Erik is in town? When's the party?"

"Nothing has been decided yet, but I guarantee that something is coming."

"Hn. Something is usually coming when he's involved."

Darcy laughed … she didn't know if Steve meant the double entendre, but it was funny none the less. She was so utterly happy and daydreamy that she decided to ask him about Bucky.

"So … when is he getting his surgery?" She didn't say his name … or the nickname that couldn't help but fall out of her mouth most of the time.

Steve's expression grew worried. "Um. Today. I'm going over to the hospital after the meeting. Would you … um, nevermind."

She smiled. It seemed as if he'd learned his lesson. "You want me to visit him before he goes under the knife?"

He perked up. "It might help him. He's terrified. The surgery will take hours and hours … they're going to be attaching electronic stuff to his nerves … I don't know the proper terminology, it just all sounds like a foreign language to me. But one wrong move, and they could paralyze him … make things even worse. And he doesn't like going under … or being on any kind of drugs. He doesn't like the feeling of being incapacitated. You know … he was a prisoner of war, when he feels like he has no control, all of that comes back to him."

Darcy nodded. That had to be terrifying. No matter what he did to her … he didn't deserve to be literally tortured.

She frowned, while deciding to be magnanimous for the day. "Okay. I'll go. But I don't want the two of you getting any ideas. For one, I'm … uh, dating someone. And for two, it would never happen in a million years, even if I was sad and lonely and lived with ten cats. Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?" She wasn't sure if "dating" was exactly what it should be called yet, as it sounded pretty exclusive, and her and Loki hadn't had that conversation yet … but he didn't need to know that.

Steve's grin lit up his face. "Got it. By the way … Loki seems … nice. Very, um, polite."

Darcy laughed. "He is definitely pretty formal." Then she winced, thinking of his "formalities" the previous night … and what they had done on the couch. _Shit_. Her underwear and jeans were probably still strewn across the floor of the living room.

When the meeting finally broke up, she gave Steve a quick squeeze on his arm. "I'll meet you at the hospital. I have to run home for a second."

She had to make sure she picked her underwear up from wherever Loki had thrown them.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Darcy searched frantically all over her living room. Under the coffee table, under the couch … no jeans, no underwear. And they weren't in her hamper. If she missed them, and either Erik or Jane found them hanging from the ceiling fan, or something of that nature … she'd never live it down. _Ever_. They still talked about finding her vibrator in the shower, when they all lived together for a summer in New York. There were a million jokes about electrocuting herself and accidentally tasing her pussy … but what they didn't understand was that the thing was waterproof. So, whatever.

She sat on the couch, admitting defeat. She had no idea where her panties were. As Darcy sat there, images of Loki kept coming back to her. On his knees on the floor … while she lay back at an angle, able to see his tongue, able to see the hungry look on his face. She was getting worked up just thinking about it. It had been … a bit of a first. She had never gotten off from a guy going down on her the first time. It usually took several tries, and she could only get there after she became comfortable and relaxed with a dude … but Loki. _Damn_. He got there in record speed.

She felt her back pocket vibrate. Darcy took out her phone and looked at the screen. Speak of the devil.

" _Did you make your meeting?"_

An impossibly big grin came upon her face.

_Awww, he's being considerate._

He wasn't being weird and playing games … adhering to strange dude-bro rules like … "don't text for a day after oral". Or something along those lines.

She typed back. " _Barely, but I was successful. Soooo … when you left this morning, did you see my clothes when you picked up your shirt?"_

It took a minute for him to text back.

" _They were gone. I figured you picked them up before you left?"_

Two seconds later. " _You can't find them?"_

" _Nevermind. Jane probably just put them in the laundry."_

It wasn't true, but she didn't want to keep talking about it.

"Looking for something?" Erik said, as he strolled into the room, wearing a track suit and sipping at a cup of coffee.

Darcy narrowed her eyes. "What did you do."

He pointed, and her eyes followed. There was a Hindu goddess, different than the one in the kitchen, sitting on top of a tall bookshelf. Her Superman panties were hanging from one of the statue's eight arms.

"Erik! Get them down."

He smirked. "Sounds like _you_ got it down last night."

She huffed. "I can't reach that … now please take it down."

He shook his head. "Nope. I found that statue thing in my closet in the guest room. I feel like we need to name her."

"That's probably sacrilegious."

"Possibly, but I don't think she'd mind. Someone had already hung this from one of her arms," he took out a small ziplock bag of old crispy weed. "I'm pretty sure she's already seen it all."

Darcy stood up and took the bag, sniffing the contents. It barely gave off the usual heavenly dank aroma. "It was probably an offering."

"An offering of shake and seeds?" He shook his head. "We can do better."

"Fine. But she doesn't need my underwear!"

"Oh yes, she does. Here. See? She's got two pair."

Darcy pushed her glasses up on her nose … sure enough, he'd hung a pair of his dark boxer-briefs from one of her other arms. "That poor goddess."

Erik smiled. "I think we should call her 'The Goddess of Oral Pleasure' … or G.O.P. for short. We'll take it away from the republicans …. they will be the 'Grand Ole Party' no longer. They can be the 'Crusty Ole Party' from now on. Seems fitting."

"The C.O.P.? Make sure to write to your senator."

"I intend to. Now all we need is to have Jane make an undergarment offering and this purple house will be blessed with amazing sex for all time."

Darcy laughed. "She's not going to do it willingly."

"Oh yes she will. I've got info on her."

"You have info on everybody."

He grinned. "It's true." He sat down on the couch next to her and procured a joint filled with the dank good stuff. "Shall we? It's 4:20 somewhere."

She sighed. "I shouldn't. I told Steve I'd meet him at the hospital … Fucky is being operated on today."

Erik frowned. "Well … all the more reason to."

Darcy shrugged. "Okay."

He lit it up. "I don't like this, Darcy," he said, after a puff.

She took the joint from him. "I know. I don't either … but I've known him since I was five years old. For better or worse, we're always going to have a connection because of that. But you don't have to worry … I'll never get back with him. Like, ever."

"Hm. That reminds me. I ran into Esteban at the restaurant before I left New York."

"Why does that remind you of Esteban?" She thought about the guy she was seeing before and after her last foray with Bucky … her beautiful Spanish artist lover.

"Because he was like, your anti-Fucky."

He definitely helped her get over Bucky, mainly with his tongue … err, accent. "Yeah … I guess that's a good way to describe him. How is he?"

"Wonderful. Still hot. He was in town for a gallery opening. Do you still talk to him?"

She nodded. "We email and Skype every once in awhile, but not for a few months. You know it was never meant to be a relationship."

"Honey, sometimes those are the best kind. So … how was it last night?" he nodded towards the newly minted Goddess of Oral Pleasure, after passing the joint.

She laughed after taking a hit. "Amaaaaazeballs."

"Better than Esteban?"

Darcy nodded her head slowly.

"Then again," Erik said. "Sometimes those are the best relationships."

"Which ones?"

"The ones worthy of the G.O.P.," he said, as if it was common knowledge.

"Oh, he's def G.O.P. worthy. A good friend of mine in undergrad, a lesbian, once told me that when you're going down on a girl, if your eyebrows don't get wet, then you're doing it wrong. Loki and that lesbian have a lot in common, it would seem."

Erik slowly turned his head to look at Darcy, as he took the joint from her. "T.M.I., Darcy … T.M.I. I'm never going to be able to look at that man's eyebrows the same again," he said, feigning seriousness.

"Oh, come the fuck on, Erik … me and Jane have to sit here and listen all kinds of stories having to do with ball-fondling, prostates, and male g-spots."

He sat holding his joint with a haughty look on his face. "The difference being that all of those stories can do nothing but help you out in the future. Straight women are just so clueless sometimes. You can't give a proper blow-job without ball-fondling."

Darcy shook her head and stood. "I'm not sure how, but one of these days, you may need to use the knowledge bestowed upon you by lesbians and straight women everywhere, on the proper way to worship at the divine well, as witnessed by the Goddess of Oral Pleasure, from above, Our Lady, the G.O.P!"

Erik grinned and held up his joint. "The G.O.P be praised!"

Darcy felt her back pocket vibrate again. She took her phone out, looked at it, and started laughing, extremely stoned.

" _Did you find your underwear?"_

She glanced up at them. " _Yeah, the G.O.P. has them."_

A few seconds later _. "Come again?"_

She started giggling uncontrollably and Erik looked over her shoulder. "Yeah, guuurl," he said.

" _I'd love to."_

One second later, Loki didn't miss a beat. " _I'll be over at about 8?"_

" _It's a date. Ha! It rhymed. I'm a poet and didn't even know it."_

"..."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Darcy was still a bit stoned when she got to the hospital, and she mentally chided herself for smoking out of Erik's stash … it was always the best stuff. Knocked your socks off.

She met Steve at the nurses desk. "Did I miss him?" She was actually hoping she missed her chance, and he'd already been carted off into surgery.

Steve smiled and shook his head. "No, you just made it. Let me walk you in."

Darcy inched into the high-tech James Bond hospital room once again. Bruce Banner and Tony Stark were there, talking to each other very heatedly, along with a few nurses, and Jane.

"Darcy!" Both Bucky and Jane said it at the same time.

She gave a flimsy smile. "Hey."

Jane was standing, looking at his chart, and Bucky was laying in his bed, being prepped for whatever it was they were about to do to him.

Jane grinned and walked over to whisper in her ear. "What were you up to last night? When I got home from work, your underwear was on the floor right next to a men's green t-shirt. Do I still want to sit on that couch?"

Darcy, still slightly under the influence, burst out in giggles, making Bruce and Tony look up from their argument. She calmed herself down with a cough. "Nothing happened that would have ruined the couch," she whispered back to Jane. "I still believe in a strict no-sex couch policy."

Jane looked suspicious.

"Okay, I'll amend that. Nothing that would make the couch look like a Jackson Pollack painting if you looked at it under a blacklight."

Her friend raised an eyebrow. "Well, alright then," she grinned. "Listen, I gotta go, so I can get up to the viewing room. I'm going to watch the surgery. I'll be home later."

Darcy nodded, and she watched Jane wave goodbye to Bucky and then walk out the door.

She strolled over and sat in the chair next to him. "Hey," she said, awkwardly, but didn't care too much. She was in too good of a mood to care.

Bucky looked up at her and she could tell he was scared. He was chewing on his lip, a tell tale sign. She's seen him chew on that lip quite a bit, but for other reasons.

"It's going to be alright. Apparently these guys are brilliant," she grinned.

He was able to smile back at her. "Yeah … I just don't like going under."

"I understand."

He shook his head, losing his smile. "You don't. No one does."

Bucky must have been thinking about something that happened to him.

Darcy inclined her head. "You're safe here. No one wants to hurt you … all these people, they want to help you."

He looked intently at her for a few moments. "Even you?"

She shrugged. "I'm here, aren't I?"

Bucky's features softened. "Yes."

Dr. Banner walked over. "It's almost time, Bucky. Say goodbye to your friends."

Darcy smiled. "I'll give you a second with Steve … I'll see ya later. Good luck." She stood up and was about to turn around when she saw something on his bedside table. A book.

_A Soul Crushing Story of Utter Brilliance._

She picked it up and grinned. "Still carrying this around with you?"

Bucky frowned. "It's strange. I feel like I had a dream that the author of that book showed up in my room. Like, I was hallucinating … and then _that_ appeared. I was afraid it was the effects of the drugs ... thought I was going crazy for a minute."

Bruce picked his chart up from the bed where Jane had set it down. "No. Loki was here … we were working at the free clinic and had to stop in, I asked him to watch you while you were sedated," he said, matter of fact.

"Loki was here?" Darcy asked, confused.

Dr. Banner seemed to realize who he was talking to. "Eh. Yes," he looked down. "Momentarily."

She picked up the book, ran her hand over the cover.

"Well hell, I wish I could've remembered it … that's my favorite book," Bucky said.

Bruce chuckled. "You say that now." Darcy looked up at him and he winked at her. She couldn't help but to smile back.

She opened the book … there was handwriting at the top of the first page. She brought it further to her eyes for inspection.

 

 

> " _They paved paradise, put up a parking lot."_
> 
>  

"What in the world does that mean?" Steve asked, walking over and looking at the book.

"Joni Mitchell lyrics." Darcy said.

Bucky's eyes started darting around the room, a memory coming back to him. " _Don't it always seem to go …_ "

" _That you don't know what you got til it's gone_ ," Darcy finished. She remembered Bucky reciting it the previous time she visited … but how did Loki know about it?

Bucky seemed to get agitated, trying to remember why in the world Loki would write such a thing as an inscription. He started to struggle to get up and Steve bent over and put his hands on his shoulders, to try and calm him down. Drug-induced memories seemed to be coming back to him.

"Doctor?" Steve said, concerned. "I think he's starting to have one of his repressed memories."

Bruce walked over and gave Bucky something to relax him. He took a vile and sent it into his IV with a syringe … the patient then instantly calmed down.

Darcy went back to the book. Loki had written something else in the bottom right hand corner.

 

 

> " _Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted;_
> 
> _persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished;_
> 
> _persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot … by order of the author._
> 
> _Loki Odinson."_
> 
>  

There was a flourish he'd drawn under his name that looked familiar.

"What in the world?" Darcy said, confused.

Bruce looked over her shoulder. "Oh, he signs his books like that sometimes. It's a Mark Twain quote from _Huckleberry Finn_. He thinks it's funny. He packed the thing full of metaphorical imagery and then tells people to not try and find meaning in it. It's just Loki being … Loki."

"Hm." Darcy looked down. It was actually funny … a bit mischevious. She wondered if at one time, he hadn't been so melancholy, but was filled with life and curiosity and …. _mischief_.

Bruce went back to his patient, who was now completely relaxed with Steve sitting next to him, talking to him.

Darcy slipped Loki's book into her messenger bag and backed out of the hospital room.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Darcy opened her door with purpose and went to see if Erik was home. She found him in his room, plugging away at his laptop.

"What are you working on?" she asked, coming up behind him.

"Finishing touches on the fall menus. What's up?" He turned around and looked at her face. "Something's up."

She told him about how she found Loki's book in Bucky's hospital room, and showed him the copy.

"A Mark Twain fan," he nodded. "Makes sense."

"How so?"

Erik shook his head. "You should read the book … finish it. It's very witty."

"Maybe. I'm just wondering why Loki would never mention seeing Bucky."

Erik frowned. "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Don't look for excuses to get angry at him. You said yourself, he was only there for a minute, passing by with Loki's doctor-friend while he ran an errand. Maybe he just hasn't had the chance yet to bring it up. He must know it's a sore subject with you."

Darcy nodded slowly. "You're probably right."

"No, honey. I'm always right."

Darcy laughed. "You sure do think you are."

Erik gave her a sympathetic look. "Just don't let anything having to do with Bucky, of all people, come between what you've got going on with Loki. From what you were saying earlier, the man should be explored. _Thoroughly_. The G.O.P. be praised. Now go read the book."

She nodded, kissed him on the cheek, and went up to her room … but before she started to read, she hauled a box from under her bed. It was full of things she hadn't had time to put up yet … several books and knick knacks that were extremely special to her.

Darcy pulled out three books. _The Mischievous Nature of Narfi the Dragon_ trilogy. The first one came out while she was in middle school, she had gotten it for Christmas and had devoured it. And for the two years after that, she anticipated the day when the others were released. After all three had come out, her father bought her the very special leather-bound hardcover set. They were sort of like the Harry Potter books, as in they were for kids, but adults could enjoy them as well.

_Loki Laufeyson._

She ran her hand over the covers and opened one … flipped through the pages to some of the illustrations. The one she was looking for was of Narfi, smoke coming out of his mouth after having breathed fire.

Darcy opened the book Loki had signed for Bucky.

The same swirly design of the smoke coming out of the dragon's mouth, was the flourish that Loki used at the bottom of his signature.

As she turned the pages to the first chapter of _A Soul Crushing Story of Utter Brilliance_ , Darcy wondered if his Narfi the Dragon books were just a set of fantastical auto-biographies.

He was such a puzzle, but she felt like she finally had most of the pieces.

_Now … what to do with them?_

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 12 will be up a lot sooner. Next few days.
> 
> Next up: Coulson comes with glad tidings, sort of ... and Thor teases.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Loki has all of the emotions in one day. But mainly lust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year guys! It's been an amazing one. Thanks for allowing me to be a part of this wonderful tasertricks world ;-)
> 
> I'll probably be partying the next few days as my fave team of all time, The Ohio State Buckeyes are playing in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, on New Year's ... so that's pretty much like my sports edition of partying with the Avengers in real life ... so writing might take a back seat for a few days, but no worries. It won't be long. I can't not put up the next chapter soon. You'll see ;-)

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

_Overalls. I am Groot. Guacamole. Kid Cudi. Moonage Daydream. Sweet. Wet. Quim. Overalls. Superman panties. Lewis Lane. Lex Lewis. Come and get your love. Ooga chaka. Overalls ...  
_

Loki was playing around on his laptop in the library, as the direction of his thoughts wouldn't actually let him write anything useful for his book … so he took to writing exercises, jotting down words that came into his head in a sort of stream of consciousness. He was waiting around to talk to Coulson, as the man apparently had some news for him, though he was currently holed up in his father's office with Thor. They were discussing his status as a free agent, and whether or not the Vikings were willing to work with him in regards to coming back next year.

All he could think of was Darcy, naturally … and whether or not it would be too much if he texted her so soon after seeing her. He decided he didn't care.

" _Did you make your meeting?"_

_Gods, please don't let this be weird._

" _Barely, but I was successful. Soooo … when you left this morning, did you see my clothes when you picked up your shirt?"_

He frowned. Turned out, it was a bit weird … just not in the way he was anticipating, which wasn't a bad thing.

" _They were gone. I figured you picked them up before you left?"_

He was sure they had been gone. He remembered thinking that if her clothes were still there, he'd bring them back up to her room for her.

" _You can't find them?"_ , he texted.

" _Nevermind. Jane probably just put them in the laundry."_

That was nice of her, he thought. He'd only ever roomed with Thor, and Loki would have never picked up any of his brother's clothes up off the floor … mainly because he was never sure what was all over them.

"Loki."

He looked up and Coulson was standing in front of him, having disrupted his line of thinking. "Thank you for bringing Hell, Norman, and Fenrir, Coulson … but we don't have to talk about the state of things just for formality's sake." Loki went back to looking at his computer.

"No, Loki. Enduring the stares at the airport while boarding a plane carrying a small tropical house plant named Hell, and trying to talk some sense into your brother, was only half the fun of this little trip … I actually do have news for you," Coulson said with a smirk.

He always wore that little smirk. It was his one facial expression, but with different variants. Was Coulson wearing his angry smirk or his sarcastic smirk? Perhaps today it was his happy smirk … or maybe his worried smirk. Who could tell.

"Well, have at it," Loki said, wishing he'd get on with it.

Coulson sat down in one of the leather upholstered chairs across from the desk and put his hands in his lap. "A studio wants to option your book. Make a movie out of it."

Loki inclined his head and dismissed the idea immediately. "Impossible. No one could ever do it justice."

Coulson nodded. "We're talking about a lot of money here."

"You know that doesn't matter to me."

"You and your brother are both so very irritating."

Loki gave a sardonic smile. "I'm sorry, are you afraid that your percentage isn't what it used to be?"

The man shook his head. "Not at all. I'm simply trying to help my clients, _and friends,_ I might add, make the best decisions that they can."

"I don't see how not compromising my artistic integrity is making a bad decision."

Coulson sighed. "For one, Loki … you're wrong about your book not being relatable to the screen, especially if you were involved in the process … and who knows, you could perhaps even win an Oscar for best screenplay adaptation."

Loki rolled his eyes.

"And for two," Coulson went on, "it's not for Utter Brilliance, it's for your Narfi books."

He was shocked. " _What_?"

The man nodded. "It's a bit strange, and against the norm ... but lately, sales have actually increased steadily on them. There's a bit of a Narfi revival as a different generation is now discovering them. Apparently, you were a bit of a trendsetter, Loki. When you were writing about dragons, no one else was … and then they all of a sudden blew up. _How to Train Your Dragon_ … the new _Hobbit_ movies with Smaug, and this whole Khaleesi phenomenon." Coulson shrugged. "Dragons are 'in' right now."

Loki stared at him for a second. "How would it even be done?"

"It would have to be a combination of live-action and CGI. The technology has never been better … when the books came out … it was still a bit rough."

He hadn't thought about his Narfi books in awhile, having been consumed with Utter Brilliance and his new memoir, among other things. Sometimes it felt like a completely different person had written those dragon books ... and in a way, it _had_ been a different person.

"I'll have to think about it," he said, quietly.

Coulson nodded. "I'll email you a few things to look over. They also want to use your real name, Loki. And then there would be a reprint of the books under Loki Odinson … your publisher really wants to do it. They'd sell a lot more books that way."

"My real name?"

"Of course. They don't want it to be like Lemony Snicket, where the author is some faceless eccentric shadow hermit. Since you're all grown up now, and you're a 'name', or what have you, you could amass a whole new generation of Narfi fans … and they'd know who you are. You could do book signings, go to comic cons … it would be fun," Coulson smirked.

Loki narrowed his eyes. "And what would the public think ... the author of a series of novels geared towards children, coming out with a memoir about drug addiction."

The corner of Coulson's mouth twitched into his worried smirk. "If you agree to it, you may have to put your memoir on hold for a bit. You'd be working on other things. But your publisher still wants it, they love what you've sent so far. They feel as if it would be a very well-received and well-reviewed follow-up to Utter Brilliance."

"Hm. Or they've done calculations and think they'd make more money going in the Narfi direction first … _then_ coming out with the fact that the author is a drug addict."

Coulson shrugged. "Possibly. Publishers are very much about the bottom line these days … in case you haven't noticed, things are not what they used to be in that world."

"Hm. I have half a mind to self-publish then."

"You have a contract."

Loki shook his head slowly. "To come out as the author of those books … it could, I don't know."

"Destroy your literary cred? Come on, Loki … it's not like you wrote _Twilight_. They're good books and they deserved a chance at the time, and they deserve an even bigger chance now. And to come out and say you wrote those books as a teenager, how extraordinary that was … and if it explodes like everyone hopes … you could be as prolific an author as someone like, say … Suzanne Collins … or George R. R. Martin."

Loki rolled his eyes. "I don't write depraved sex scenes like he does."

"Well, there was that one." Coulson's smirk then took up half his face.

"That wasn't in the dragon books, it was in Utter Brilliance … and it was a fantasy. A dream."

The man chuckled. "Fine. But the quotes still ended up all over Tumblr."

"I'm not even sure what that means."

Coulson's mouth twitched again. "That's probably a good thing."

"Brother!"

Loki sighed in relief … Thor actually chose a good time to interrupt a conversation, for once. He casually walked into the room and slapped Coulson on the shoulder. "I hope he's delivering better news to you than he did to me."

The man looked up at him. "They're just playing hardball … there's no way the Vikings aren't going to want their star to come back to the team. You're the highest paid tight end in the NFL. Or at least … you _were_."

"They are not the only ones who can play hardball!"

"I wouldn't piss them off more than you already have, if you want to return to Minnesota next year."

"What do I care? It's cold in Minnesota … perhaps I shall take my talents to Miami!"

"Don't even go there."

Loki looked down at his phone while they argued. He was more interested in something else … like Darcy's panties. And telling her about the Narfi news, as she'd been so elated to find out he had written the books and was a big fan. He wanted to get her opinion … and get back into her panties. Two birds.

" _Did you find your underwear?"_

She texted almost immediately. " _Yeah, the G.O.P. has them."_

He squinted his eyes at the screen. Republicans? He understood that American conservatives liked to be involved with a woman's uterus … but stealing panties? He was confused.

" _Come again?"_ She had to have hit the wrong buttons on her keypad.

" _I'd love to."_

_I'D LOVE TO?! What's this?  
_

An impossibly huge grin came upon his face. The saucy little devil.

" _I'll be over at about 8?"_ he texted back.

" _It's a date. Ha! It rhymed. I'm a poet and didn't even know it."_

He couldn't help it, he laughed. She was funny even when she was being positively silly in that irresistible way of hers.

" _..."_ Loki shook his head.

Darcy had turned him into a person that laughed at stupid jokes.

He looked up to find Coulson and Thor staring at him. "What has you looking so happy, brother?" Thor asked, eyeing him. He leaned over the desk to get a better look. "And … is that satisfaction on your face?"

Loki grinned. "Satisfaction is not in my nature."

"Hn. I don't think I've seen you quite so relaxed in a very long time … come to think of it, was that not the shirt I saw you in yesterday, when you breezed through the kitchen on your way to locking yourself in your room?"

He shrugged. "I have several green shirts."

Thor raised an eyebrow. "Though if I recall correctly, I think I remembered Jane saying something this morning about finding a green shirt next to her couch, when she got home from work last night …"

Coulson gave a little chuckle along with his smirk. "And he did roll up pretty early in the morning, _very_ early for Loki, I might add … with his hair pointing in several directions."

Loki leaned back in his chair and sighed, looking at the ceiling. "Am I to be teased relentlessly when I was only trying to take my big brother's good advice?"

Thor laughed. "And it was _good_ advice then, was it?"

He shrugged. "It was completely innocent. My pants stayed on the entire time."

 _They just didn't stay …_ up _._

"But did hers?"

Loki shook his head. "I am discussing this no further."

Thor laughed low in his throat. "Always the gentlemen."

"Not always."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

For the rest of the day, Loki tried to keep his mind off of his evening plans and what could possibly happen. He went for a very long jog with Fenrir … he wrote several more pages of gibberish … he even went to visit his father in the hospital. It was a strange feeling. A mix of nervousness and elation. The only thing he couldn't do was ring Bruce, as he was in surgery all day and couldn't be disturbed, unless it was a serious emergency … and Loki being a bit anxious about the chance of sex later in the evening, wasn't exactly an emergency.

He was nervous because it would mean a step back towards normal life … a life where he allowed himself to feel intense pleasure, a life that could very well involve another human being depending on him, and vice versa. For quite some time, it had only been himself that he had to worry about, as he got his life back together. He had started out slow, getting a plant and taking care of it, seeing if he could keep that alive. Then a snake … then a dog. Fenrir depended on him, and it was a good feeling. And now … perhaps a woman.

_Was it time?_

It felt like it was time. Maybe. Though he felt like an idiot standing in an aisle at Walgreens, staring at packs of condoms. Nervousness making his body prickle. What was he, sixteen? Loki shook his head, he was being ridiculous.

He went with the Magnums, as they were the only kind of condoms he'd ever gotten that never broke.

As eight o'clock approached, he found himself with an anxious energy that he hadn't felt in awhile. It made him think about the cigarette habit he'd developed right after kicking heroin, and he seriously considered having one to calm his nerves. It made him think that maybe all of this wasn't such a good idea. He hadn't touched heroin in two years, and hadn't touched cigarettes in eight months. Coffee had become his addiction, a comfort, as it always had been. What if sex turned into a new one? Sex addiction was a thing.

At about seven o'clock, Thor found him sitting in a stool at the kitchen bar, clutching a cup of coffee. "What's wrong?" his brother asked. "Was it Coulson's news?"

Loki looked up, distracted. "No." He hadn't even thought about the possibility of Narfi movies for the past few hours.

"Is it … Darcy?"

He said nothing.

"Did something happen?"

Loki shook his head. "No. We're supposed to meet up at eight."

Thor frowned. "Then why so gloomy?"

He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.

"What are you so worried about?" his brother asked. "Darcy is a great girl. There is nothing to fear."

He looked down. "What if I mess this up spectacularly … as I do most other things."

Thor gave him a sympathetic look. "Loki, you have not messed anything up in quite some time. You do not give yourself enough credit."

Loki smiled slightly. "Perhaps. But I haven't done anything like this in quite some time."

"What are you fears?"

He took a sip of coffee. "That I trade one addiction for another."

Thor took a deep breath. "Okay. Well, what is it that you would need from Darcy?"

Loki thought for a second. "I supposed what I want … is just her. And for her to want the same thing. Just me."

"You want to be exclusive."

Loki only shrugged. He supposed that was true. He was never into sharing.

Thor shook his head. "That's not trading one addiction for another … that's just wanting to be with someone, Loki. The addiction you're worried about, isn't something I feel is within you. It's an inability to be faithful. I know several sex addicts. I'm a football player. I am completely certain that you are in no danger from it. You've always respected the women in your life so very much."

Loki looked up at his brother but said nothing.

Thor went on. "Just tell Darcy what you need from her. Tell her what you want. Then you will feel safe enough to take further steps."

His brother smacked him on the shoulder, as always. "You'll be fine. Have fun." And he walked out of the room.

It was exactly what Loki needed. He rolled his eyes. Thor just had a way about him … he was just so irritatingly … _good_. And insightful. Just when you needed him to be.

Loki sighed.

_I can't hate him._

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

An hour later, Loki was on Darcy's doorstep, ringing her bell.

It took her a minute to crack open the door ... and when he got a good look at her, after she ushered him inside, all of his previous apprehensions faded into thin air.

She was wearing her overalls with nothing underneath, her hair piled up on top her head, secured with a paint brush … and a little smudge of green on her right cheek.

The most beautiful creature he'd ever seen.

She grinned. "Sorry … I'll just get changed real quick and then we can go get some dinner."

He was speechless. "Em … what?"

_CHANGE REAL QUICK? DINNER?_

She reached up and took the paint brush from the top of her head and shook out her hair, letting it fall below her shoulders and down her back.

"Are you …" He was going to say ... _are you serious_? But words left him.

She cocked her head to the side and smiled seductively. "Am I … toying with you?"

Darcy's fingers went to one of the clasps of her overalls, and she unhooked one. "Yes. Yes, I am toying with you," she said, before turning around and running up the stairs, laughing.

Without hesitation, he ran after her.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Bow chicka wow wow. Awwww yeeeah.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which ... without comment ;-)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song mentioned in the beginning is "Often" by The Weeknd. Look it up. His stuff is great. Very sexy and very dirty.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

_Darcy: I know you're watching a very important surgery right now, but do we have time for Pride and Pred quotes?_

_Jane: Sure. It's cool … just boring stuff right now. But Bucky's shoulder is totally cut open and on display and it's really weird. You'd love it._

_Darcy: I so don't care about Fucky right now._

_Jane: Sorry. Okay, what are we quoting from? Book, 1995 mini-series, or 2005 movie? Or something more obscure?_

_Darcy: Jane. I've been so blind._

_Jane: Okay, 2005 then._

_Jane: One of these days, Lizzy (Darcy), SOMEONE will catch your eye, and then you'll have to watch your tongue._

_Darcy: We misjudged him. Me more than anyone in every way. Not just in this matter. I've been nonsensical. But he's been a fool about, about Jane, about so many other things. But then, so have I. You see, he and I are … he and I are so similar. We're both so stubborn._

_Jane: You're talking about Loki?_

_Darcy: …_

_Jane: You really do love him, don't you?_

_Darcy: …_

_Jane: You really do LIKE him, don't you?_

_Darcy: Very much._

_Jane: I cannot believe that anyone can deserve you. But it seems I am overruled. So I heartily give my consent. I could not have parted with you, my Lizzie (my Darcy), to anyone less worthy._

_Darcy: HAHAHAHAHAHA! How's that for a laugh?_

_Jane: He's rich, to be sure, and you will have more fine carriages than Jane (HAHA NOT REALLY MY MAN IS IN THE NFL). But will that make you happy?_

_Darcy: Oh yeah._

_Jane: OH! I gotta pay attention now, they're starting to attach the new arm. It's super cool. And silver._

_Darcy: Okay, have fun. I hope Fucky wakes up and he's like … "WHERE IS PADME!?"_

_Jane: LOL NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! *shakes fists*  
_

_Jane: Okay, you and I are talking later._

_Darcy: Yep. Later. Probably tomorrow. Planning on being busy tonight. Gonna have a low-key evening. Get it? A Loki evening?_

_Jane: …_

_Darcy: Damn straight._

…

Darcy had spent most of the day reading Loki's book, and she realized that she really hadn't given it much of a chance. Erik was right … and ugh, Bucky was right. The book was really good. Sure, it was a bit verbose at times, and the main character could be seriously annoying and self-important … but the end was just … beautiful. Loki's prose was a lot like how he talked. Sarcastic. Witty. Intelligent. Subtly funny, and at times hilarious. A bit melancholy. But also a bit boyish in his hopefulness.

She had never been able to make it past the first paragraph, mainly because in the beginning, he was that entitled whiney dude she hated reading about … but then he went on his quest. Darcy knew she should have finished it a long time ago, but with it being Bucky's favorite book … she just couldn't stomach it.

_I've been so blind._

At about six, she started painting, wanting to get a leg up on her studio series, before she let in any outside distractions for awhile. Darcy put on her painting overalls and went to work … and while the brush strokes hit the canvas, all she could think about was Loki. She brought up The Weeknd on her iTunes and listened to the groovy dirty sexy music and started having all kinds of naughty thoughts.

" _In my city I'm a young god, that pussy kill be so vicious, my god white, he in my pocket, he get me redder than the devil 'til I go nauseous …"_

She found that she couldn't really paint anymore, but just stared at her work on the easel.

" _Baby I can make that pussy rain, often often, often, girl I do this often, make that pussy pop and do it how I want it … often, often, girl I do this often … make that pussy pop and do it how I want it. Often."_

She thought about how he looked at her in her overalls. The outline of her breasts. Like he was drowning. Like he was starving. She had liked it.

She had loved it.

" _Ooh, the sun's risin' up, the night's almost up … the night's almost done. But I see your eyes, you wanna go again. Girl, I'll go again … girl, I'll go again."_

And Loki liked her. It was obvious. He didn't hide it. After what happened the previous night, he hadn't shied away, hadn't played any bro games. He texted within hours of waking up half-naked beside her. It was like they were good friends now, but both incredibly attracted to each other, and exploring the possibilities.

Darcy was definitely down for exploring more of those possibilities. A lot more.

_Tonight._

By the time eight o'clock rolled around and her bell rang, she knew what she wanted to do.

She cracked open the door and looked at him standing there. Loki. So beautiful. Looking so nervous. It made her heart jump into her throat. He was wearing all black. His snug jeans and another t-shirt from his seemingly endless collection of V-necks. This one was a deep V and she could see his very light patch of chest hair peeking through. His hair was down, soft around his face and shoulders … not severely tied back. Her panties would have dropped right then and there, if she didn't happen to be wearing some form of pants.

After Darcy ushered him inside, and he noticed exactly what she was wearing, he looked at her like a ravenous predator. It made her insides tighten and a heat rushed through her heart to her belly, and down between her legs. It almost made her dizzy.

She decided to play. "Sorry … I'll just get changed real quick and then we can go get some dinner."

He made a face … Darcy didn't think she'd ever seen him so disappointed.

_Aww, poor baby._

"Em … what?" Loki croaked out. "Are you …"

She reached up and pulled out the paint brush that was holding up her hair, and dropped it on the floor. She let her long brown locks fall down her back.

"Am I … toying with you?" Darcy gave him her best evil grin.

She looked down and fiddled with one of the clasps of her overalls, acting as if she was unhooking it. "Yes. Yes, I am toying with you."

Darcy turned around and headed towards the stairs, running up the steps, laughing. Not in two seconds did she hear him running behind her. Loki caught her in the hallway and pinned her up against her bedroom door, grinding his hips into hers. All the nervousness that was in him on her doorstep seemed to be gone.

"I am not to be trifled with," he growled.

She smiled up at him. "It was just a bit of fun."

It was as if he could talk no longer, couldn't do anything else … his lips were abruptly moving against hers, and suddenly they were a tangle of tongues and breath and eager sighs. His hand reached behind her and found the doorknob. He opened it and they both stumbled inside.

Darcy walked over to the edge of her bed and he came up to stand in front of her, as they stared at each other. Without breaking eye contact, he reached his hands over and ran them up and down her bare sides, then very gently with his fingers, traced the outline of her breasts, dipping them inside her overalls. She closed her eyes and shivered at his softest of touches … which were making her achingly ready for him, anywhere he wanted to be.

Loki broke eye contact with her as he went to the clasps and carefully unhooked them, letting the straps slowly fall down her back, the front folding over, which bared her naked upper-body to him. He took a minute and let his gaze travel over her skin, her figure, her breasts. He must have liked what he found, because he groaned in a very male, very strangled deep sound. His thumbs reached up and he brushed them over hardened nipples, making them ache with need. She needed to be touched.

_More._

She moaned and it was as though he understood. His hands then began to knead none too gently, and he bent his head to heatedly worship her breasts with his mouth, brushing her nipples with his teeth, lapping with his hot wet tongue. He paid due respect to each, as her head fell backwards and she sighed with pleasure.

Then he was on his knees, sliding the overalls down her legs, sliding her simple pair of lavender panties past her calves. His tongue had made its way down her body, to the skin of her stomach, and back to where he had given her so much amazing attention the night before. He kissed briefly between her legs, licking, sucking, before he was back standing in front of her, reaching behind and pulling his shirt over his head. A look of insistence and purpose on his face.

Darcy grinned up at him as she sat down on her bed, bringing herself eye-level with his belt buckle. She slowly undid it, unbuttoned his jeans, and unzipped the fly. She then tugged his jeans and boxers down, divesting him of the rest of his clothes, like he'd done with her. She grabbed hold of his already well-hard dick and guided it into her mouth. She worked him with her tongue for a few moments while he held her head and groaned.

"Darcy," he said, strain in his voice. "Please. Lie back on the bed."

She let him go and did as she was told. Loki stood, looking at her, hungry, while she scooted back in the middle of her bed, flush with anticipation.

Slowly, he crouched onto the bed and began to climb on top of her, settling his weight on her soft skin. He felt inviting and strong. She felt protected by his body, the lean muscles, his broad shoulders, the warmth and smoothness of his skin. His insanely good-smelling cologne mixed with his male scent. She began to trace patterns on his back with her fingers, in awe of how he felt. So natural, like they'd been doing this for months, years … but there was the fascination of doing this for the first time.

After kissing her, very nearly stealing her breath, he abruptly sat up, kneeling between her legs. "Darcy," he said, as if in pain.

She sobered through the haze of lust coursing through her body. "Huh? What's wrong?"

He looked down at her intently, adoration on his face. "Nothing. Nothing at all. Things just got away from me. It's just … it's just that if we do this …"

Concern came over her face. "What? Is everything okay?"

He nodded. "Everything is wonderful. I hope."

"What is it?" She asked, worried.

He took her hands. "I … I just want to know … that if we do this, then … you're _mine_. And mine alone."

She thought it was a bit strange … it sounded a bit possessive, but it was exactly what she wanted to hear. Darcy nodded slowly. "I'm yours. And you … you're mine too?"

Loki closed his eyes and smiled, as if relieved, free of all tension. "Oh, silly girl." He opened his eyes back up. "I've been yours. I may have had a funny way of showing it, quite a horrible way of showing it actually … but I've been yours since I laid eyes on you."

Darcy grinned. "Me too."

Loki inclined his head. "What?" he whispered.

"Since that day. On Jane's porch. The way you said my name. I would have never admitted it at the time, but … I wanted you."

His eyes became very dark, and all of a sudden, his weight was back on top of her. His tongue was in her mouth, and he moaned, his voice vibrating against her lips. He began rocking his hips into hers and she could feel his hard cock on her inner thigh … driving her fucking crazy.

Darcy could feel his long arm reaching over the bed, trying to reach down to the floor. He momentarily broke the kiss to lean over and fumble for his jeans, searching for the pockets and for a condom. He retrieved one and began to tear it open.

"Loki," she said.

"Wha?" he managed to say, with foil between his teeth.

Darcy smiled. He looked unbelievably cute, trying to gracefully procure a piece of latex. "If we're exclusive, you don't have to use that. I'm on birth control. I take it at the same time everyday like clockwork. I even have an alarm set on my phone."

He looked confused. "Huh? But I bought these … and everything."

She shrugged from her position, lying on the bed. "We're exclusive and disease-free. Those are my rules. It's up to you. I understand if you want to use it."

His eyes darkened even more and he threw the half-opened condom on the floor. Loki leaned back over her and she felt his fingers come between them, searching between her legs, running them along the slick heat of her. He easily slipped two inside and they both groaned … she was more than ready. Her hips rose up off the bed, searching for more friction with his hand. He removed his fingers and looked at her, unblinking, settling himself between her legs. But he still looked apprehensive.

"What's wrong? Are you …"

_Scared? Are you scared?_

He nodded slightly, as if reading her mind. "Me too," she said. "It's okay."

She reached her hand between them and his eyes followed. She dipped her fingers into her own wetness and then found his dick, rubbing it just below the head on the underside, lubricating the soft and very sensitive patch of skin there. She bit her lip, looking up at him, a promise on her face.

Loki gasped, his breath caught in his throat. His jaw clenched, his nostrils flared ... and he grabbed her thigh, spreading her, opening her, preparing her. His cock instinctively found her passage, and he began to push inside.

She cried out, startled, grabbing onto his shoulders, as he slid in all the way. There was a slight sting. A wonderful sting. She didn't know what she was expecting ... she knew it was going to feel good. She just didn't know it was going to feel _this fucking good_. He thrust gently, stretching her, almost too much, but not quite … trading one ache for another. He was finally inside, that first thirst was quenched … but now she needed that sweet build. That sweet tension. That sweet and shattering release.

_Oh, God. Fuck me._

He made a sound, almost like a sob, his face buried in the crook of her neck … but he stayed still. He rose up to look at her, his black hair around his face. "Is this okay?"

Darcy whimpered. He must've known he was pretty big. He was being all chivalrous and stuff. She almost rolled her eyes.

_Stop being a considerate gentleman and fuck me, already._

"You feel so amazing," she said, breathing heavily. "So fucking good."

It was all he needed to hear, apparently. Loki began to slowly roll his hips, moving in and out of her … building the tension. A beautiful push, an ascent.

Darcy closed her eyes, lost in the feel of him between her legs, moving on top of her.

_Holy shit, I'm having sex with Loki. He's inside of me. He's fucking me. This feels so fucking amazing.  
_

She raised her hips, meeting his, finding a rhythm, urging him on … faster and harder.

He complied, and they became ravenous. Crying out, moaning, sobbing, panting. Moving together. Climbing.

He looked down at her. "Darcy," he groaned.

She could tell what he wanted. He needed her to come. He wasn't going to last much longer.

Darcy stilled her hips. "Shhhhhhh."

She ran her nails up and down his back, before swinging her leg over him, throwing her weight so that she could roll on top of him, momentarily breaking contact.

Darcy slid back over him and slowly began to ride him, building the tension back up. He looked up at her with his iridescent eyes ... like he'd never seen anything so beautiful than her body moving fluidly on top of him. His hands slid up her sides, to her breasts, and he rubbed her nipples with his palms. She angled her hips, coming into that much needed contact and stimulation. It didn't take long … before she knew it, she was at the edge.

"Darcy."

She could tell he was struggling not to come.

She breathed deep. "Oh ... god. You feel so good. Oh my god. Almost. Almost."

_Fuck. He feels so fucking good._

_There._

"FUUUCK! LOKI!"

She gasped and then loudly cried out as she came, her body breaking out in total euphoria. The release of pleasure between her legs, joined with him … spreading to every inch of her, her heart, her skin, her mind.

He followed right behind, gripping her hips as he drove up into her ... as if he was trying to reach as far inside as he could, before spilling himself, her name on his lips ... sounding as if someone ripped his heart out.

They began to come down, still moving in tune with each other … but much more gently.

Darcy collapsed on top of him, her body humming from orgasm. He wrapped his long arms around her, holding her tight. So very tight.

"So beautiful," he said, panting. "You're so fucking beautiful."

Loki rolled them back over so that he was on top of her again. His lips brushed her throat and he breathed in the scent of her skin, making his way to her breasts … his tongue swirled around her nipple.

"So beautiful."

Darcy stretched back, blissed out, letting him worship her body with his weight on top of her.

"Aggnnnn. Oh god, you feel so good," she sighed.

They lay together for some time, entwined. Savoring each other.

Until building it back up all over again.

Exploring well into the night.

Well into the morning.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> XXX
> 
> Next up: Pillow talk ... and other stuff.
> 
> Plot will return in Chapter 15 ;-)


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Loki and Darcy discover the possibilities of eating Nutella in bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm so very amazed at the support that I get from you. It means the world. I LOVE YOU :-D
> 
> This chapter is a bit special, so it's from both Loki and Darcy's point of view. Chapter 15 will go back to normal, with Loki.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

"I've never noticed this before," Darcy said, as she traced the lines of a tattoo running across Loki's back

He was lying on his stomach, his hands beneath a pillow, while she was on her side, propped up by her elbow.

Loki smiled lazily. "In these all too brief encounters of ours, I suppose we haven't been sufficiently unclothed enough for you to notice. Perhaps we should lie around naked more often. Who knows what we'll discover."

Darcy raised a brow. "I'm down."

She let her finger follow the pattern on his skin. "This is a labyrinth?"

"Yes."

"The style … it looks. Celtic? No … Viking?"

"Hm. They are similar. But yes, it is Norse in origin."

"It's beautiful."

He rolled over and took her wrist, held it up to his lips, and kissed the ink wrapping around her arm. "So are yours."

They didn't ask each other what their tattoos meant … as both knew all too well how personal such a story could be, and how when people ask, they're usually only vaguely explained in half-truths. They would wait, and admire, until a tale was offered up, unsolicited. Or perhaps not at all … sometimes something so permanent and painful was only meant for one person. A reminder of a covenant between yourself and some greater force. Not everything is meant to be shared.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Darcy became a great admirer of his hips. That spot. The indentations that ran from the bottom of his stomach in a "V" … leading the eye down. She kissed these marks, inhaling the scent of his skin, as she lowered her head further, while reaching up with her hands, and running her nails down his belly, to his thighs.

Loki really was very appreciative. And not shy … or quiet, in showing how very thankful he was. As she was going down on him, taking care to pay attention to every detail, he rewarded her with sobs of pleasure that would fuel her daydreams for years to come.

But then he tugged on her arm to come up for air. She looked at him with swollen red lips and he pleaded with her … though it was only a silent request. His eyes told her everything he wanted her to know … _please, let me inside of you_.

She climbed up his body and granted him entrance. His big hands splayed across her lower back, urgent. Darcy watched his face as she pressed against him, rocking them towards climax. He closed his eyes and for a few very glorious moments, he thought of nothing. He only felt. A meditation in pleasure.

Darcy saw that as Loki neared completion, that cute little tick she noticed at dinner, appeared on his face. The right side of his lower lip would dip down every so often. She smiled. This was the good stuff … learning all the little secrets.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

"Tell me about your father."

They didn't want to pry about tattoos … but felt they were on a level in their relationship when it was permissible to ask about dead parents.

Darcy turned her head from where it was lying across his abdomen. "He died three years ago. One minute he was walking around, and the next minute he was gone. Brain aneurysm."

Loki brushed her hair off her shoulder. "So it was quick."

She nodded slightly. "He was at work … he'd gone back to the office, after having lunch at home. He always acted as if he liked his job, but I don't think he ever did. It was stressful … I knew that it took its toll. I don't think he was a born workaholic, like other lawyers."

"What makes you say that?"

Darcy smiled wistfully. "He was always happy. Or at the very least, _trying_ to be. Always joking around. He said it was important to laugh every single day, even if you don't want to. Even if there's nothing to laugh about, you have to find a reason. He said … do something fun, something silly, for a laugh. If you have to do something you don't want to do … try looking at it from a different angle, until its something you want to do. _For a laugh_. It was kinda me and Jane's mantra during high school."

She laughed softly. "It's still our mantra, I suppose. I think it's why we're so weird. We were always trying to get each other to laugh … any way possible. As you've seen … sometimes we can be pretty … _wrong_. Horrible. Like, very un-PC. Jane really loved my dad too … her parents were kinda absent, emotionally unavailable. She spent a lot of time at our house, growing up."

Darcy looked down. "I know he was happy. He loved my mom, he loved us … but I don't think he really loved what he did. And it's always bothered me."

"What makes you say this?"

"Hm. Well, he was an amazing musician … had all these beautiful guitars. I don't think I ever saw him so happy, then while he was playing music. It seemed like … he was free, ya know? After a long stressful day at work, he go into his music room, and all the tension would go away. Music was what he loved to do, that's what made him happy. But the family …" Darcy shook her head. "I think he was convinced that making a living as a musician was impossible. He was supposed to be sensible. To achieve. To be successful. So he became a successful entertainment lawyer, surrounding himself with talented musicians … as his clients. The people doing what he really wanted to be doing."

"And what about your mother? Did she encourage his music?"

Darcy nodded. "Oh yeah. She just wanted him to be happy. She's always going on about Americans, about how we don't know how to chill. We live to work, she says … not work to live … that sort of thing. But she let him do what he wanted."

"Is she happy as an art dealer?"

She smiled. "Yep. As a clam. She's a natural-born dealer … can talk you into anything."

Loki laughed. "Hm. I'm sure."

"Tell me about your mother."

He sighed and closed his eyes. "She was beautiful. Too beautiful for the world, too good. She died in a car accident. A little over a year ago, now."

Darcy looked on in sympathy. "That's not that long ago."

"No," he said, quietly. "But I hadn't seen her in almost a year, when it happened."

"Where were you?"

"Self-exile. Putting myself back together. Bruce sent me to a place that he knew of. I was in a Buddhist monastery for a little while, detoxing, kicking heroin. I stayed there for a bit. Then I went to India … lived in an ashram … lived very simply, forgot who I was for a time. But while I thought it was a noble thing, going away for awhile, severing ties … it wasn't. It was still selfish … no one knew where I was. Bruce had to find me. She had died weeks before I found out about it … I missed her funeral."

"But you came back?"

Loki nodded slowly. "I did. With Bruce. But being back in town … and the stress ... I nearly had a relapse. All that discipline and hard work down the drain, in two seconds flat. You have no idea how terrible it was, detoxing in that monastery. They give you a concoction that makes you vomit. Over and over again. And there is nothing for the pain. No Tylenol. Certainly no methadone. It was scary how willing I was to wipe all that way, with one tiny dose."

"But you didn't."

He shook his head. "No. I did not. Instead, I left again. Fled to New York, then London. And I was there until Father had his heart attack."

"And you came back for your dad."

"I didn't do it for him."

"Why, then?"

"For her, for my mother … I know she would have wanted me to. For now on, I always hope to do what she would have wanted me to."

Darcy frowned. "What's with you and your dad?"

Loki shrugged. "We don't have the best history … but I used to blame him for everything. Everything that went wrong in my life was his fault."

"And you don't anymore?"

"No. I've come to view him as a sad old man. We create our own lives."

Darcy smiled. "Hn. I think the way it should go is … 'our own lives, we create,' Master Yoda."

He laughed. "I did meet some very Yoda-like individuals in my travels. Though they were not tiny and green, sadly."

"So is that where you got your Yoda wisdom? India?"

Loki smiled. "Some of it. I studied Eastern religions while I was there. I learned about gods and goddesses, like Annapurna, the deity in your kitchen." He reached down and rubbed her back. "In fact, _you_ are my Annapurna … she gives strength and nourishment to the gods."

She laughed. "Are you calling yourself a god?"

He shook his head. "No. But you do nourish me. In so many different ways."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

It didn't take much. One brush of the inner thigh … one touch to the hip, the breast … one innocent kiss, and they were lost again. Loki was impossibly graceful in his movements … and preternaturally coordinated. He could pay attention to her breasts while pressing inside … he didn't just stick his face in the pillow beside her, rutting until something interesting happened. He paid attention, he could go slow, take his time.

Darcy rewarded him by wrapping her legs around him … she knew he liked it. The way he moaned into her mouth as she locked her ankles together. She had him.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

"So why did you go to a monastery for detox, or rehab, or whatever. Why not one of those places in Malibu, by a beach?"

Loki shook his head. "Those places never would have worked on me. Maybe they would have for a little while, but not for long. I knew I needed something extreme. It's usually what I need."

"And Bruce took you there?"

"He'd been there. For his own reasons."

Darcy lie with her head on Loki's chest, his arm around her, their legs tangled. She drew a circle around his belly button with her finger.

"You don't have to tell me … but how did you get started on heroin?"

She could feel his breath deepen. "It was after my father's first heart attack. About three years ago. I just kind of … snapped. It was a long time coming, looking back on it."

"You lost it?"

He chuckled. "Yes. I lost it. I found something out. Something big. A great lie they'd told me, all my life."

"I'm sorry."

"Why? It's not your fault."

"I'm just sorry that it happened. I know how terrible it is to be lied to. To your face."

He ran his fingers through her hair. "Yes, well … after his heart attack, my mother, Thor, and I … we all donated blood. As is custom, they told us. I learned that my blood type wasn't compatible with his. With any of theirs. They couldn't possibly have been my parents."

"Whoa."

"Yes."

Darcy looked up at him. "I always wondered why you and Thor looked nothing alike … except you're both really flipping tall. I always thought you must've looked like your mom. I've seen pictures of your dad, like in University stuff. Thor looks like him."

Loki shook his head. "No, I didn't look anything like her either. I always knew … somewhere, I knew."

"So they adopted you?"

He nodded his head. "Yes. From some war-torn Eastern European country. I've never researched the details. I only know that I was abandoned, found in the snow … next to a tree, wrapped in blankets. I ended up in a makeshift hospital, where my mother happened to be working with one of her charities."

"Like in _The Joy Luck Club_."

"What?"

"You know … _The Joy Luck Club_. One of the moms from the story, in China … she was a refugee and knew she was going to die, so she left her babies by the side of the road, with all of her money, everything she owned, hoping someone more able would take care of them."

"Hm."

Darcy could tell that he'd never thought of it in that way.

"So … you didn't like being adopted."

"I didn't like being lied to."

"That's understandable."

"It all just made sense … why Father always preferred Thor over me. Thor was his natural born son. I was just some … poor child."

Darcy wanted desperately to disagree with him, but she kept her mouth shut, quite astonishingly.

"It didn't matter what I did. The perfect grades I got. Hell, I published a book at sixteen, that actually became quite popular, though I received no recognition for it. Only royalty checks. And my father _was_ proud … my mother was over the moon. But after Thor became the star of Asgardia's football team, with talks of Heisman Trophies, the whole being-published-at-sixteen thing was not so big an accomplishment. And Thor was able to be recognized for his greatness. After a few years, I published Utter Brilliance ... and it soared, it took off, it had my real name on the cover. It won awards … but then, Thor won a Super Bowl."

Loki sighed. A long sigh of pain. "There was nothing on Earth that I could do."

Darcy gave his torso a squeeze with her arms, not sure what to say.

"And then there was a girl."

Darcy laughed. "There's always a girl."

"Well, this girl, she was a friend. When we moved here, I was about fifteen, and she was in my class. We became close, she was a bit of a tomboy … we were always getting into some kind of trouble."

"Was she your girlfriend?"

"No. She was only ever my friend. From the first time she saw him, she was always in love with Thor. I could see it … she was over at our house one day, after school, and she met him. And that was it."

"But you loved her first."

Loki nodded.

"What happened to her?"

He laughed. "Well, Sif was very much the tomboy, and much more muscular than me … so of course, she became the only female kicker in college football, at the time. She's much better friends with Thor now. You might recognize her … she's on ESPN, one of the only female commentators."

Darcy shook her head. "I don't watch ESPN. So did her and Thor ever hook up?"

"I'm not sure. I don't think so. It was one big triangle of unrequited love. But she was in town, that week of Father's heart attack. She stayed by Thor's side the entire time, like I didn't exist, like we were never friends."

"I'm sorry, Loki."

"I felt as if I had no one. It wasn't true … hindsight is 20/20, they say. I had friends. I just didn't care about any of them, because I was too focused on one thing. I had pills left over from something … getting my wisdom teeth taken out, something like that. I took those, they helped to make things a little more bearable. It escalated."

"It sounds like you had a lot thrown at you at once."

"You could say that."

"I understand."

"You do?"

Darcy nodded. "So what convinced you to go to the extreme Buddhist monastery?" She wasn't ready to talk about her clusterfuck of suck quite yet.

"I went after an overdose. At that point, it seemed as if my father had washed his hands of me, my mother was all I had left. And Bruce. He took me there … and being a doctor, he was able to administer methadone to make the trip easier."

"You overdosed … you almost died?"

"Nearly. Very nearly. You've met Clint and Natasha?"

"Yes."

"I'm sure you'll hear the story eventually, so I'll tell you … but, know that I wasn't in my right mind."

"It's cool, Loki. I'm listening, not judging."

He took a deep breath. "I was at one of Clint's parties, on his farm. A big bonfire … he likes to throw those, something he does for hunting season. I drugged him."

"You … drugged him?"

He looked down at her with fear in his face. "I was drugged myself, so I had no idea what was happening. I still don't remember it clearly … but he'd been drinking all day, and he asked me for something for a headache. He saw that I had a bottle of Advil. I gave it to him. It wasn't Advil … it's where I put a bunch of pills, none of them over-the-counter. Mainly potent pain-killers. He took a handful of them and ended up in the hospital, almost died."

"Hm."

"And that is the story of why Clint and Natasha hate me. After that happened … I don't know, I tried to find something good enough to make it all go away. Thor found me just in time … took me to the hospital. But even he was so very tired of all the trouble I caused."

Darcy gave him another squeeze and she propped herself up enough to kiss him, to reassure him. She settled back down on his chest and he smiled at her, the fear melting off his face.

"So what does that Sig girl have to do with it?" she asked.

"What makes you ask that?"

"I've known junkies. I know what one looks like." Darcy didn't want to reveal how Thor had pretty much outed her at the coffee shop, and essentially, outed him as well.

Loki furrowed his brows. "She always had the heroin. It was as if there was a poison, slowly dripping on me and dissolving my sanity. She offered me up solace, as if it were on a silver platter. We were together, though I'd never describe her as an ex-girlfriend. She was a companion … a consort. It wasn't about love, or sex, or any of that. It was about doing heroin together."

"It seemed like she saw it differently."

He sighed. "I suppose that's true. She thought of me as her boyfriend, some great love, something out of a drug-fueled novel, it was all very romantic to her … but it was all a lie. She was never faithful. If she could get heroin from someone, it didn't matter, she'd do anything."

"That's fucked up … how did you meet her?"

"Hn. She was a student here. Still is, though she should have graduated by now. She's one of those girls who is an aspiring writer. She came up to me at a bar one night, because I'm a novelist. I was in _just_ the right skewed mind-frame to fall for it. She showed me her poetry, which was nothing more than a few dirty words strewn together … she told me her favorite author was Henry Miller … and that should have told me everything I needed to know right there."

"What's that?"

"She didn't really like Henry Miller, she liked what that said about her. The persona it created."

"Ah. I see. Depraved sex-kitten."

"Sex-monster."

She laughed.

"Tell me, Darcy … what is your favorite book?"

She sat up. "Oooohhh, no. Not gonna happen," she said, waving a finger in his face.

He smiled and looked up at her. "Why not?"

"Because … you're a famous author. You'll be judging me. Trying to figure me out, and thinking that you can, just by knowing what my favorite book is."

Loki shrugged. "I cannot help it. But I want to know … really. What is your favorite book? I know you have one."

Darcy smiled slowly. "It's not Narfi … though I _do_ love those books." She sighed, resigned. "Okay. It's _The Outsiders_."

He laughed. " _The Outsiders_. I must confess, it wasn't what I expected … and I honestly have no judgement. I'm not sure what to make of it, actually. Why is it your favorite book?"

She grinned. "Rob Lowe as Sodapop."

"Come on now."

"No really … it was the first time I got that rush, you know? Watching the movie. That scene when he's wrapped in a towel, and his hair is all wet, and you can aaaaaalmost see everything. That's when I knew … my sexual orientation is a wet Rob Lowe in a towel."

"Okay, now I'm judging you."

Darcy sighed. "Okay, okay. I read _The Outsiders_ in middle school … and it was the first book I ever read, that made me cry. I realized that books had the power to … like, transport you to other worlds, and to make you feel what the author wants you to feel. It's like some kind of sorcery. An out of body experience."

Loki grinned before he grabbed her waist and rolled them over. Starting with her cheek, he began to kiss his way down her body.

"Although now," she mused … "my current sexual orientation is this gorgeous guy I know. I like to call him Naked Loki … much better than a dude in some towel … and he apparently doesn't need to breath, as he can … ohhhhhhh, holy shiiiiiit."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

"Are you hungry?"

"Famished."

It was now well past midnight … probably closer to 2 a.m. Darcy rushed down the stairs to get something to eat. She came back with a big plate stacked with bread and strawberries.

"Nutella sandwiches?"

Loki frowned. "Are you not supposed to be some great cook?"

She shrugged. "Sometimes simple is best. Besides, Erik made this gorgeous brioche. It wasn't meant to be overpowered with other ingredients, but to shine on its own."

He tilted his head and smiled at her. She didn't even know what she did to him.

"Now … Nutella, strawberries, and brioche. I could live off of this for weeks," she said, as she began to chew.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, Loki coming to the conclusion that she was right … simple things really were the best sometimes. But after a piece of strawberry covered in Nutella, dropped onto his thigh … and she bent over to lick it off …

The food was forgotten. She straddled him and he stayed sitting up, wrapping her legs around him. It was as if they were trying to move through each other, while climbing. She threw her head back as she came, and he bent his head down to kiss chocolate off her nipple. He wondered how it got there for a second, but then forgot everything as he followed her, collapsing on the bed.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

"So tell me … what happened with the soldier … what did he do to earn his nickname?"

"Fucky?"

His chest moved up and down in a small laugh. "Yes. Fucky."

Darcy moved to her side and propped herself up by the elbow. "He was always a much better friend than he was a boyfriend. I've known him since we were five years old, since Kindergarten. He was a hundred "firsts" … first kiss, first time, first heartbreak. Most of the time, I wish he'd just go away … but he never does, he always shows back up somehow. This time, he shows up by being a war hero. He's just so good, you know?"

"Good at what?"

"Making you believe."

"Do you believe he's changed?"

She inclined her head, thinking. "Something has definitely changed. He's lost something … something in his personality is gone, or hidden. But I'm not sure he's changed so much that he'd all of a sudden make a good boyfriend … and I'm not about to find out."

Her words were a comfort. "How long were you together?" he asked.

"A few years. On and off. Our whole relationship … was a power struggle. All I ever wanted to do was get back at him in some way, for something he did. He'd stay out too late with his friends … the next night I'd try to do the same thing. It never worked though. And nothing ever changed. He was never faithful. And just when I'd begin to stop caring … when I thought that maybe I'd be alright alone. _Better_ , even … alone. He'd do something wonderful … and pull me right back under."

"And then he went off to war …"

"Sort of. That last time we were together … man. I was perfectly happy. I was going to switch majors … get out of poli-sci. I was taking a summer to figure out where to go next, living with my parents in Brooklyn. I was kind of dating this guy, Esteban … an artist, someone my mom worked with. He kind of influenced me … he was … well he still is, this great Spanish painter, and he believed that art was like magic, because it could change you … it can change the person making it, and change the person experiencing it."

"Hm." Loki sounded a bit perturbed with her talk of Esteban … so she steered the conversation away.

"Well, anyway … Bucky was there, all of a sudden. All he had to say was a few words, and I was right back where I started. Believing him. I'm not even so sure that I'm mad at him anymore … but mad at myself, for the naive idiot he always turned me into."

Loki rubbed her arm. "It was never your fault Darcy. Wanting to believe in something."

She shrugged. "He got scared. He left."

"Why would he get scared?" He didn't want to push … but he found that he couldn't help himself.

"Hm. It's not something I talk about, but I'm going to tell you … since it seems like we're being so open, here. But I don't want to dwell on it for very long, okay?"

He was silent, but nodded.

Darcy closed her eyes. "I got pregnant. He left me. I'd never felt so alone, so betrayed, in my entire life … and I never want to feel that way again. But I had Jane and Erik … who knows what would have happened, if I didn't have them."

Loki took her hand and squeezed it.

She opened her eyes. "I'm not sure what I would've done. I honestly have no clue. But a decision was made for me … I miscarried. It was probably all the stress. There were so many jumbled up … feelings. I had never been so _relieved_ … but then never felt so guilty. I felt like a horrible person."

"You are not a horrible person."

"I felt like one." She shook her head out. "My dad died a few weeks after that. The last time I saw Bucky, up until at the hospital … was at the funeral. He inexplicably, showed the fuck up. Even Steve was horrified. He actually said that he came because he wanted to be there for me," she laughed, bitterly. "Erik drug him outside and punched him. Right in the street."

"I believe Erik is one of my favorite people now."

Darcy smiled. "Me too."

"We don't have to talk about it anymore."

She lay on his chest, burrowing next to that comfortable nook by his shoulder. "Thank you."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

He wasn't sure that anyone had ever paid such close attention to him. She would sit up while he was lying across the bed, and she'd trace every line of his body. Every muscle, every indentation. It was like she was trying to commit it all to memory … a study, so she could paint or draw him later.

"What are you doing?"

"Admiring," she said.

"Really."

"Oh yes," she said, very matter of fact. "You're very well made. A masterpiece. I want to give a big thumbs up, and be like … 'you go, God!'"

He laughed as he reached up to cup a breast. "No … I think it is you who deserves all the praise." His hand fell to her hip. "I've never seen such beautiful curves, such graceful lines."

"Sweet-talker."

"Perhaps. But I tell you the truth. I can't imagine finding anything more beautiful."

She gave him a half smile. "Keep talking." She bent her head.

"Hmmm. Your eyes. They're warm. Like the blue water has been heated by the summer sun, and your skin … it's … it's perfection." He found that he couldn't think coherently any longer.

Darcy smiled around him.

"And your mouth …" He gasped. "Your mouth … it's … annngggggnnnnn."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

"Can you set an alarm for nine? I have to call Thor and ask him to take out Fenrir."

"Fenrir?" Darcy asked, as she reached for her phone.

Loki was surprised that he'd never mentioned him. "He's my dog."

"You have a dog?" She smiled her toothy grin.

He nodded. "I do. Want to see a photo?"

Darcy was treated to many pictures on his phone of an impossibly cute and wolfish creature. "How old is he?"

"About a year."

She flipped through more pictures. "Is this a snake?"

He sat up a little to look at his phone. "Ah yes, that's Norman."

"You have a snake named Norman?"

Loki nodded.

"And you took pictures of him? Like he's your kid or something?"

He shrugged. "I also have a plant. Though I do not think I have pictures of her."

"Her?"

"Oh yes."

"She has a name?"

Loki grinned. "I named her Hell."

"A plant named Hell?"

"Well … she's a tropical plant. She looks like Vietnam."

"Vietnam?"

He nodded. "Yes. War is hell."

Darcy curled up in laughter. "You have a snake named Norman and a plant named Hell. You've got to be the cutest person who ever lived."

Loki smiled over at her body, shaking with giggles. "No, Darling. I think that would be you."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

They realized they'd stayed up all night, when a blue-grey light started coming in through the window. He couldn't help it, he needed to have her one more time before they fell asleep, to remind him that it hadn't all been a dream. It all started when they were lying on their sides, her back to him … his arms wrapped around her. She wiggled around, trying to get comfortable … the sensation bringing him back to life.

Darcy smiled and arched against him … she certainly didn't make it easy for him to resist, proper sleep be damned. He let his hand rest between her thighs for a moment, as she writhed against him. They both hissed, as Loki sank into her from behind, and they slowly started rocking … a lazy rhythm of two people, practically spent.

It ended with her on top of him, as the movement of his fingers over her didn't seem to be enough. She needed more. He watched as she took her pleasure … the sun rising, the light on her skin, making all of it more real.

Technically, it was morning sex … though they both hoped that morning- _after_ sex wasn't off the table. They had revealed much to each other … and there was an illusion of safety in a bed. A lover's sanctuary. Sometimes the harsh daylight had its way of breaking the spell.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, just a few notes.
> 
> • The Buddhist monastery where Loki went is based off of a real place. The Wat Tham Krabok temple in Thailand. It's known as the harshest place to detox, and also has one of the best success rates in the world. 
> 
> • If you've never read the Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, or never seen the movie, they're both wonderful. Pretty much every hot guy in the 80's was in that movie. And the Rob Lowe scene with the towel? Google it. It's very nice ;-) Maybe I can find a gif and put it in the comments ... if I can figure it out ;-) 
> 
> • Also, in case you haven't figured it out ... Loki's pets, and Narfi, are named after his mythological children. Norman is a bit different, just because I can't pronounce Jörmungandr. Can you? I can't. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ So I named him Norman.
> 
> • And finally. A note on Esteban. It's a total fanwank on my part. You see, Esteban is Spanish for Steve. And he believes that art is magic. It's my tiny tiny way of making Pedro Pascal into Dr. Strange ... as sadly, it will only happen in this fic. As much as I love Benedict, and as much as I'm sure he'll do an amazing job ... I wanted the Red Viper to be Dr. Strange!
> 
> Anyway.
> 
> Next up: Loki and Darcy have breakfast at 3 o'clock in the afternoon ... and he asks for an opinion.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Loki and Darcy eat breakfast in the middle of the day while discussing literature ... with innuendos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, I know it's been a minute, but stupid life and stupid work got in the way of my writing schedule. Then there was that whole Buckeyes winning the National Championship thing ... so I partied for a few days, and had to recover for a few days ;-)
> 
> Anyway. I'm back.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

_How do you write a harrowing and cautionary tale when you're so indescribably happy? Perhaps you draw it from the pit of your stomach, where you're forever worried that happiness will be snatched from your fingertips ...  
_

Loki was lounging in Darcy's bed, too content to get up, wanting to stay cocooned next to her all day ... but she was still asleep and he didn't want to wake her. He fiddled around with his phone, comforted by her soft breathing beside him.

Slowly, she rolled onto her back and stretched.

"What first … shower or breakfast?" she asked, groggily.

He grinned down at her. "Wouldn't it be technically lunch? Or hell, dinner?"

"Breakfast can happen at anytime in my world," she said, with her eyes still closed.

"I think I like your world."

She smiled. "So what will it be?"

"Breakfast."

After phoning Thor in the morning to ask him to take out Fenrir ... and after a bit of brotherly teasing, Loki fell into a deep sleep. He was nestled among soft pillows, sheets that smelled of lavender and sex, and Darcy's warm skin … and he hadn't woken up until well past 2 o'clock in the afternoon. He couldn't remember the last time he slept so well.

Darcy reached over for her phone and squinted to read her missed texts. "Are you busy tonight? Jane wants all of us to have dinner."

"No. I believe I'll give myself the day off, though I should be writing."

"Hm. Me too. I should be painting. Or blogging. I've been neglecting my website over the past week. But I do feel like I need a day to myself. Shit's been crazy."

"Then we should take a day. Work can commence tomorrow."

"Word."

Loki watched as she slipped from beneath the sheets, naked … lazily stepping towards her chest of drawers, in order to find comfortable clothes. He thought to pull her back to bed, before she got a t-shirt over her shoulders.

"No. Come back," Loki pleaded, his arm outstretched.

A coy look formed on her face. She shook her head. "Food. I'm starving. Then shower sex."

"Alright then," he said with a smile, and got out of bed himself. He reached for his jeans. The sooner they could get lunch overwith, the sooner they could get themselves clean … only to get very dirty all over again.

Darcy walked up and kissed him, a light peck, unfortunately. She drew back before he could hold her in place. "Meet you downstairs? I'll use Jane's bathroom … you can use mine if you need."

When Loki saw the state of his hair when he caught a glimpse of himself in her dresser mirror, he marched himself down the hall to said bathroom to try and tame it.

After making use of the facilities, borrowing Darcy's Listerine, and washing his face, he stood and stared off into space for a moment, reliving the previous evening. Loki didn't remember the last time he allowed such emotion, such openness, and he wondered if he'd even ever allowed it at all ... before now. There was something about her that just seemed … _safe_. It was as if he could tell her anything and she wouldn't flinch, as she'd been through quite a lot on her own. Perhaps they could work. Perhaps they were both jaded in similar ways and at similar levels. And her lust for life, her ability to be present and take pleasure in simple things, or in ways that had never occurred to him … made her so very alluring.

And her body, her skin … her soft curves moving on top of him …

_The feeling of her breasts in my hands, as she was rocking above me ... with her velvety ... tight ..._

He splashed more water on his face. Loki had to curb this line of thinking or else nothing would get done. What he did know, was that last night … the whole night, was like a dream. He hadn't even dared to think he could ever feel that good again ... which made him want to proceed with caution, for fear of it being snatched away somehow. For life was cruel, and just when you thought you had found happiness … the fates laugh. He could hear their faint cackling most of his life, and he was terrified of hearing them again, in this space. In this time.

Loki went back into the hallway and down the stairs, a somber weight on his shoulders.

As he walked into the kitchen and saw her at the stove, back turned to him … humming along to The Rolling Stones music she was playing on her iHome, he felt a stab in the heart of hope, contentment, and then sadness. How had this happened to him? And what sorcery must take place in order to know this feeling every day. To perhaps see Darcy humming to music every morning, after waking next to her. Wonderful things like that were not supposed to happen to him, so naturally, he mistrusted it.

She turned around and smiled. "How do you feel about grilled cheese?"

Loki pulled out a chair and sat down. "I have no objections," he said.

Darcy frowned. "That doesn't sound too enthusiastic." She looked at the almost melancholy look on his face. "What's wrong?"

He looked up at her and gave a lopsided grin. "Absolutely nothing."

She left the sandwich toasting in the pan for a moment, walked over to the table and bent down, giving him a longer kiss this time. The fact that she had decided to go braless was becoming a bit distracting. Darcy looked him in the eyes. "Is it weird that I'm afraid to be this happy?"

Loki smiled, shaking his head. "No," he said, as he pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her.

They took a moment and held onto each other, realizing that this was actually happening. That last night had actually happened. _Happiness_ had actually happened.

Though the first grilled cheese sandwich turned out a little overdone.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

"This is really good. I think you might be a keeper," Loki said, after taking a bite of perfectly toasty, chewy bread, and melty cheese.

Darcy laughed. "Next time you're making breakfast for me, then we'll see if _you_ are a keeper."

"I accept this challenge," he said, brow raised. "I make a very mean bowl of cereal."

She grinned as she took a big gulp of orange juice and set the glass down, eyeing him. "So. I re-read your book."

"Narfi?" He asked, after swallowing a mouthful.

Darcy chuckled and shook her head. "No. The other one."

Loki inclined his head. "Really."

She nodded. "I guess I let the fact that it was Bucky's favorite book cloud my judgement. I usually give a novel at least forty pages before giving up on it. I think I only gave your book five." She shrugged. "Sorry. I should have kept reading." Darcy looked down for a moment. "Oh, yeah. Your book was Bucky's favorite, by the way … I'm not sure if I ever told you that."

He looked up at her innocently. "Oh, really?" He hurried and changed the subject. "Did you make it to the end?"

"Oh yeah. I loved it. It was like … an odyssey. A search of authenticity. Like, in the beginning, the main character was surrounded by so much fake bullshit, and he was just as fake, just as pompous … which is why I thought I'd hate it. I thought that's what it was going to be the whole time … but then he left and had like, a journey. He got out of his comfort zone and saw the world with new eyes." Darcy grinned at him. "It was beautiful, really."

Loki wasn't exactly sure what to say. He hadn't realized how desperately he wanted her to like his work, until that moment. There was some indescribable emotion, trapped in his throat, as he listened to her explain why she ended up loving Utter Brilliance.

_What is that?_

"So how is your writing coming?" she asked.

"Hm?" She had broken him out of his dazed thoughts.

"Your book … how's it coming?"

"Ah. Well … I wanted to talk to you about that, actually ... since you had such a surprising reaction to the Narfi books," he said, grinning.

Darcy looked confused. "What's that?"

"I had a meeting with Coulson yesterday … apparently my publisher would like to put my book about being addicted to heroin on hold for awhile, or at least until new editions of the Narfi collection can be published, and enough money can be made. You know, before it comes out that the author of a children's series also has a memoir about drug abuse."

She looked shocked. "So what … you'd be Loki Odinson instead of Laufeyson?"

He nodded.

Darcy gasped. "Loki! That's awesome!"

Loki took a sip of coffee and set his mug down. "They also want to make a movie out of the first one … see how it does. It's all very much in the beginning stages … I haven't signed anything or even negotiated anything yet. I'm still thinking about it."

She looked at him, dumbfounded. "Holy shit! What is there to think about? That's so totally cool! Movies about Narfi? They could be like … HUGE! Midnight showings, huge! People dressing up and shit, waiting in line to see it. People love those books, dude. And they'd know who you are! Oh my God, Loki. That's so amazing. You could even have like, a panel about the movie at Comic Con. You'd pack the place, not an empty seat in the house."

He frowned. "Yes, Coulson did mention something about Comic Con … I'm not exactly sure what that would entail, but it sounds exhausting."

Darcy shook her head. "Trust me, it's fun. It's a good thing. I'll go with you!" A wide grin came across her face. "Maybe the first Narfi film will come out the same year as an X-Men film and I'll be able to meet Michael Fassbender at Comic Con. How cool would that be?"

"Hm. I think I just go by myself, then."

She rolled her eyes. "I was kidding." Darcy looked down. "Sort of."

Loki laughed. "Of course, you would be there with me."

She looked up at him and smiled … probably thinking of what he'd just implied. She would be there with him, as he planned on having her by his side for now on.

"So you think I should do it?" he asked.

"Of course!" she almost yelled. "You _totally_ should do it. I mean, you should definitely make sure to hold onto some of the creative control … they can't go changing those books too much, or the fans will hate it. Narfi has to stay the same. He has to be the mischievous dragon that can turn different colors like a chameleon, like his mom … even though boy dragons are not supposed to be able to do that … but he was true to who he was in the end. It's an awesome message. That's gotta stay in. But I'm sure you and your agent will figure all that stuff out."

Loki nodded. "Yes, Coulson is very good at negotiating and getting his way. He's the best."

"Well shit," Darcy said, smiling at him. "There you go. You'll be recognized for your Narfi greatness. It'll make an awesome story … it'll be like, 'hey, guess what you guys ... Loki Odinson wrote that really awesome book at sixteen that one time, and you never even knew about it' … people will love it."

He shrugged. "Perhaps. But don't start booking any flights to Comic Con just yet. There's still a lot that could fall through … these kinds of deals are never easy. But the studio who wants the rights apparently really wants the movie to be made … as dragons are pretty popular these days."

Darcy nodded enthusiastically. "Yep. You were a trendsetter."

"That's what Coulson said." Loki reached over and took her hand. "Listen … you should think about your book as well. Getting published."

Darcy frowned. "I told you … I don't want to write a book right now."

He looked at her in disbelief. "Why ever not?"

Darcy shrugged. "I don't know if I can explain it very well ..." her voice trailed off. Her lips pursed in thought. "My education," she began. "Me and my brother don't have to worry about college, because our father left us with trust funds … but for now, we can only use the money for things having to do with our education. So I want to honor my father … I want to use that gift to make sure I'm doing what I love. So is my brother … it's why he's off in a desert in Africa somewhere, digging up bones instead of sitting in a classroom, getting a generic business degree, like my dad's brothers think he should. He's doing what he loves. We both kind of made that promise."

Loki nodded. "Of course. I'm sorry … but don't you love your writing? Your stories and recipes?"

She smiled. "Yeah. I totally love writing. But it's more like a hobby … I'm afraid that if I'm given deadlines, and have all that added pressure, editors tearing apart my stuff ... then it wouldn't be fun anymore. Like, I wouldn't want to do it anymore. I don't want to change all that. Right now, it's kind of like, an outlet. Something fun. It's not a job, it's not work. Once it starts to feel like work … I'd probably lose interest."

Loki pressed on one more time. "You realize … you could do both, right? You could be a grad student _and_ a published cookbook author. I promise you, publishing a book, while challenging, is exhilarating. To see your name on the cover … and the smell of a new book. _Your_ book."

Darcy sighed. "I'll think about it."

He urged her on. "I could help you. I could get Coulson to help you … apparently he's a big fan of yours." Loki didn't mention that it was the Napoleon-douchebag post that he'd loved so much, but she didn't need to know the specifics.

She laughed. "Really?"

He nodded and tilted his head when he realized something. "You know, I've lately tried to steer myself away from fledgling writers … people who only want to know me because of my status as award-winning author … hoping their acquaintance with me, will get them closer to a book deal … and here I am, freely offering to help you with it all. Pleading with you, even." Loki smiled. "And yet, you don't want it."

Darcy shook her head, eating her last bit of sandwich. "Nope. I don't want you for your book connections," she grinned, looking at his lap. "I just want you for your body … and your enormous … _intellect_." She looked up at him. "Yeah, intellect. We'll go with that."

Loki laughed, giving her a look of mock outrage. "And I'll have you know that it's quite the same for me." He looked at her chest. "I have developed quite a fondness for your enormous ... " He brought his gaze up to stare in her eyes. " _Sense of humor._ "

She giggled into her coffee. "Wow, you sure know how to charm a girl."

"Speaking of your _sense of humor_ or should I say _senses_?" he asked, looking back down at her unsupported breasts, sensing the outline of them through her thin t-shirt. "We've eaten, though I am still quite … hungry." Loki gave her one of his devilish smiles. "Was there not something you were saying about a shower?"

Darcy bit her lip and looked at him seductively. "I sure did," she said. "And you can penetrate my … _mind_. With your enormous … _intellect_."

Loki looked at her with darkened eyes. "It really is so very refreshing to be allured by one's intelligence and sense of humor, instead of just from a purely physical standpoint, is it not?"

She raised a brow, demurely sipping at her mug. "Sure," she said. "And since you're being such a gentlemen, liking me for my mind and everything … I might just let you express your huge, massive, _intellect_ all over my _senses of humor_."

Loki stood, nearly knocking over his chair in the process.

Darcy finished the rest of her coffee in one gulp. "I'll meet you upstairs? I'm just going to put the dishes in the sink."

He shook his head. "No darling, I'll help you. I'm not averse to cleaning up … and it will only make the task go faster."

As they started picking up their plates, they heard the faint ring of the doorbell.

"Ooh." Darcy handed Loki her plate. "You get that, I'll get the door. It's probably just someone wanting me to join the ACLU or some shit."

She turned and headed to the entranceway.

Loki frowned, following her, after he set the plates in the sink. If it was some solicitor, he had every intention of scaring them away, as they had better things to be doing, afterall. But as Darcy opened the door, it was revealed to be a striking, meticulously put-together woman, with dark shiny and bouncy long hair, obviously blown-out in a salon … and huge sunglasses.

"Darcy! My piccolina!" The woman wrapped her arms around Darcy, nearly knocking her down it seemed.

"Mom!" Darcy said, as if in total shock. "What are you doing here?" Loki watched as she brought her arms up to embrace the woman as well.

Her mother drew back in order to get a good look at her. "Am I not allowed to surprise my daughter?" she said, in a slight Italian accent. "I wanted to see this crazy house you keep telling me about! And I haven't seen Jane in so long. I've missed you both."

She then looked over and took notice of Loki for the first time, tentatively standing next to the stairs.

"Is this the handsome writer you were telling me about?" Darcy's mother asked.

Loki blushed slightly.

_She told her mom about me?_

"Um, yeah. Mom, this is Loki," Darcy said, smiling. He instantly felt a bit calmer, less awkward, as Darcy seemed happy to be introducing him to her mother.

The woman took her sunglasses off and walked up to inspect him. She had Darcy's same warm blue eyes, enhanced with perfect makeup. Her skin was flawless, and though she was obviously older, being the mother of someone in her mid-twenties … she looked timeless. Loki thought that if this was a precursor to what Darcy might look like, decades down the line, he might just ask her to marry him on the spot. They were both such gorgeous women.

He held his hand out to shake hers, but instead she reached up and gave him a peck on the cheek ... giving him an approving smile.

But then the awkwardness returned.

"Hola, hermosa," said a deep voice.

A man stood leaning against the frame of the open door, also wearing dark sunglasses. He too was dressed meticulously, in a crisp black tailored shirt with a popped collar.

He took off his shades and raked his eyes over Darcy's figure … and her braless state. "Stunning as ever," he said, in a thick Spanish accent, and a smarmy grin on his lips.

Loki could feel his blood begin to heat … in a second it would go straight to boiling.

He looked over at the surprise and confusion on Darcy's face.

"What are you doing here, Esteban?"

_Esteban?_

Blood well past boiling-point, realization dawned on Loki, as to who the man could be.

ESTEBAN.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: A tense family dinner. Darcy, quite awkwardly, has to tell her mother that Loki speaks Italian ... and Loki and Erik have a conversation in Swedish. Different languages all around!


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Loki learns about tops and bottoms, in a sense ...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this chapter. Sorry, not sorry about it ;-)
> 
> In the last part, I have implied by using italics in quotation marks, that Italian is being spoken. Italics without quotation marks are Darcy's thoughts. I hope that makes sense.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

_Potatoes, matzo meal, applesauce,_ _crème fraîche ..._

Darcy was scrolling through her archives looking for the perfect recipes, then began to text a list of things she didn't already have stocked in her pantry. Jane had sent her a message earlier, asking if she needed anything from the store … and _oh_ , how she needed a few things.

"Darling, are you alright?"

Loki was sitting next to her at the kitchen table, unsure of how to act. What to do.

_Poor guy._

Darcy looked up and shrugged. Shook her head. "I don't know?"

"You're texting Jane?"

She nodded absentmindedly.

"Is she still at work?"

Darcy frowned. "No. She went on a hike with Erik .. they left early this morning. They're stopping at the grocery store on the way home, for the dinner she wanted to have. I'm texting her a grocery list."

Loki seemed to be approaching with caution. "We are still doing dinner?"

"Yeah, sure … why not? It'll be us, Erik, Jane, Thor … and my mom and the guy she's banging … who just happens to be a dude I used to sleep with." Darcy threw up her hands in a shrug, a sarcastic smile on her face. "The more the merrier, right?"

He tapped his fingers to his lips, probably mulling over what to say. "I understand that you're shocked … but perhaps you should rethink ...'

"It's fine, Loki," she said quietly. "I just need to cook. Start chopping things. Maybe open a bottle of wine … or two." Darcy looked up suddenly. "That reminds me … I meant to ask. How are you around drinking? Are you cool with all of us drinking wine? Me and Jane … we're pretty liberal with …"

"Darcy," he interrupted, holding up a hand. "Thank you, but it's fine. An odd glass of wine won't lead me down the dark path of feigning for heroin. I just don't overindulge. I wouldn't be overly fond of hanging out at some college rager, complete with keg stands … but I never enjoyed such things to begin with. Alcohol has never been a problem of mine."

She nodded. "Okay. It's just … you know, my family, we've always been wine drinkers … and Erik is a chef, alcohol is almost a way of life with chefs. I just wanted to make sure … I don't want you to be more uncomfortable than you probably already are ... " She shook her head. "I'm sorry …" Darcy put her face in her hands, rubbing her eyes. "I had no idea this was going to go down … I hate surprises."

Darcy then realized that she might have been a bit presumptuous. They hadn't been dating very long … maybe it was too soon to bring family into the mix. Maybe things were moving a little fast, and dinner with her mother would be a little scary for him. But then she thought of her mom and dad … they had fallen in love quickly, had a whirlwind romance, and had gotten engaged after only six weeks of knowing each other … and they were the most in-love couple she had ever seen.

Darcy felt a pang of hurt, deep in her solar plexus, at the thought of her dad.

She sat up straight and stopped fidgeting. "Loki ... You don't have to stay if you don't want to ... if this is too weird. If you're not quite ready to hang out with my mother yet."

He tilted his head, looking a bit hurt. "Darcy. Remember last night when I said I wanted you to be mine?"

She nodded.

"I didn't mean as a possession ... I meant ... mine, only, yes … but, perhaps … to take care of, even, if you need me to. I'll not leave unless you want me to."

Darcy had no idea what to say to that, so she just shook her head. "You have no idea what you signed up for … my mom, my whole family, actually … they're all kinda … banana balls." She circled her finger next to her head in that universal symbol of crazy.

Loki gave her a wry smile. "Darcy. I could say the same thing about myself, you realize."

_Of course. Loki's family was cray-cray too._

"Right. Sorry."

"Darling. Do not be sorry."

She sighed. "Alright. We have a few hours before my mom and Esteban come back for dinner … they're getting set up in that Airbnb place, or whatever." Darcy didn't want to think about the romantic cabin in the woods they'd gotten. Her mother had told her it overlooked the lake. A wonderful place for a getaway in the wilderness along with telling your daughter about her new man … two birds, one stone! She tried to suppress a shiver and failed. She needed a distraction.

"How bout that shower?" Darcy smiled.

Loki's face lit up in that way of his, like he was momentarily surprised that he was included … in a group of friends or in an invitation for two. Very exclusive. "Of course," he said, as he stood and held out his hand, like a gentleman to a lady.

She grinned up at him.

"After you," he said, before she led him out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

The shower wasn't exactly a cure-all, however … and in fact, might have made things worse. Darcy should have known, what would happen eventually, as Loki didn't seem like the type of guy to take a certain issue, a _non-issue_ , really … lying down, so to speak.

He had her pressed against the shower tiles, his hands over hers, as her palms helped her to balance ... and arch her back to him, as he moved in and out of her from behind. The feeling of the water raining down on them was soothing, the sounds of his pleasure in her ear arousing and extremely satisfying. He moved his arms down, fingers pressing into her hips, as he neared completion. But he seemed determined to hold back … Darcy was hoping he would just let go. Let it go.

She could feel his hand come around to her belly and slide down, circling the tender flesh, in order to make her climax with him. She closed her eyes, resting her forehead against the cool tiles, trying to will herself to orgasm. To relax. He felt so good, and there was a first time for everything.

Eventually, he slowed his hips. "Darcy," he said, his voice rough and strangled.

"It's okay," she said.

"No."

"It's okay … it's not going to happen like this."

He pulled out and turned her around, hooking her knee with his elbow, and entered her again as his lips found her neck, scraping teeth against her pulse point. "Come for me," he said.

And she should have been able to … just from the sound of his voice.

_Damn, that voice._

But the height difference became awkward quick, and he tried to pick her up in order to fit together better.

"Loki … it's okay. It's still amazing for me … even if it doesn't happen every time."

He frowned. "Not in my book." He looked gorgeous, his black hair wet, drops of water falling from the ends and down onto his chest. She leaned over to lick some of them off.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She looked up at him. "Nothing is wrong … it just only happens in certain positions."

He gave her a look of determination before he sank to his knees, lifting one of her legs over his shoulder. He put his lips and tongue to work, in order to sate his male pride.

Darcy moaned, trying to grip the wall and failing, willing her legs to hold ... but she could tell it wasn't going to happen. "Lokiiiii."

He hummed against her, the vibrations make her weak in the knees.

"I can't relax like this … I'm too busy trying to concentrate on remaining standing."

He stilled his movements and looked up. "I won't let you fall."

"Please." She tugged on his arms, wanting him to stand back up.

When he complied, she took him in her hand and he shuddered … she got on her knees like he did, at this point, needing it to end. She took him into her mouth, wrapped fingers around the base of his cock and became determined to give him the best blow job he ever had, in order to make up for the fact that he was probably going to pout about her little situation.

_Dudes._

He groaned, his fingers tangled in her hair, grasping her head … trying not to push her, but his hips involuntarily thrusting into her mouth. She could tell that moment … the contraction that told her what was coming. She lifted her lips from him and continued to work him with her hand, as she let him express his _intellect_ all over her _senses of humor_. He gasped and then growled, looking down on her like she was the goddess and he was about to drop back to his knees and worship.

_Problem solved._

She stood up and he held her tight against him, crashing his lips onto hers. Abruptly he stopped, looking her in the eye. "This isn't over," he whispered.

_Nevermind. Problem not solved._

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Getting dressed had been fine, and they had even stood by the bathroom sink together after toweling off, languidly kissing for several minutes, enjoying each other's warm and clean skin. But then when they passed her room in the hallway, Loki tried to tug her inside for another round.

Darcy shook her head. "We only have an hour … Erik and Jane will be home any minute, and Thor will be here soon. We don't have time." She tried to give him a reassuring look. "Later," she said.

That's when the pouting started, right on cue.

He began helping her in the kitchen, but he was barely paying attention to what he was doing. She stood at the stove, sauteing onions and garlic, while he stood at the cutting board, breaking up a rotisserie chicken.

"Darcy," he said, tentatively. "What's the problem? You can tell me."

She smiled and sighed. "It's not a problem, Loki … it's just, I can only come when I'm on top … when I have control, I guess. Please don't make this a thing."

He narrowed his eyes. "But I can make you come on your back, when I go down on you."

She set her wooden spoon in the pan and turned towards him. "That's because I can relax … let go. If it makes you feel any better … you're the only guy I've been with, that was able to make me come the very first time." She turned back to the stove. "Usually it takes me awhile."

Loki's frown was still there. "So then why can't you relax … when I'm on top of you?"

Darcy gave a frustrated growl. "I don't know! It's just how it is … it's a normal thing for a girl, it's the same way for Jane." She winced, thinking that maybe she shouldn't have said that, since Loki happened to be pretty close to the guy Jane was currently having sex with … with them being brothers and all.

He shook his head, his fingers going back to the chicken. "I've never heard of such a thing … certainly, I've never ran into it, in my experience."

She widened her eyes, not believing what she was hearing. "Well … there is such a thing as faking."

Loki's hands dropped down to his sides. "No. I would know … there are ways to tell."

Darcy shook her head, trying not to laugh. "Sure. And every way you can tell … there is a way to fake."

Something like fear washed across his face. "Have you … ?" His voice trailed off, not able to finish the sentence.

She tried to smush her lips together to keep from laughing.

_Bless his little heart._

"No! Of course not … I don't fake." She picked up her spoon and went back to pushing the onion and garlic around in the pan. "Not anymore at least … all that went out the window after my relationship with Fucky," she muttered under her breath.

"After Bucky," he said, his voice getting louder.

_Oh god, I wish I hadn't said anything._

"So was it this Spanish lothario? That had you orgasming to the point of never faking again?"

Darcy gasped. "Oh my god! What the hell, Loki? This isn't about Esteban."

He went back to the cutting board. "Esteban."

She rolled her eyes. He was being ridiculous, so she tried to reassure him. "Esteban," she said, trying to make a point, "was a bit special."

Loki turned to look at her again. "Special?!"

Darcy held up her hands. "Okay, wrong figure of speech!" She shook her head. "He … he had this thing, a fetish I guess you could say." She tried really hard again, not to laugh. "He only liked being on the bottom." She couldn't help it, she started to giggle.

Loki obviously wasn't amused. "He only liked being on the bottom," he repeated, with no inflection in his voice.

This line of talk was going to have to stop, or she wouldn't be able to concentrate on making dinner any longer … her garlic was already getting a little toasty. She turned the flame down on the stove.

She thought about what to say. At the time, Esteban had made her feel in control when she felt as if she'd had none left … he made her feel beautiful again, helped to open things inside of her that she didn't even know was there. Sure, it had been a bit strange, being limited to a certain number of positions, but it had been empowering. It had given her a certain confidence, and she'd found new comfort in her body. She learned to love her curves and the way she felt … something Bucky had never inspired, as he'd been a bit of a selfish lover, though she hadn't realized it at the time she was with him, as she hadn't had a whole lot to compare him to.

But there was no way in hell she could explain that to Loki. _Yet_. And maybe not ever.

"Is that what you prefer?" he asked. "Being on top?"

Darcy raised a brow. "No. I love it when you're in control." She walked up to him and put her arms around his waist. "When you're on top, when you're behind … and I'm sure I'll love a whole bunch more that we haven't even tried yet." She looked up at him as she bit her lip, thinking of all the possibilities.

Loki's arms came around to hug her back. "When I first met Erik, and I had assumed the wrong thing … he'd said it would never work out between the two of you, as you're 'both tops'… he wasn't kidding, was he? I had thought he was just joking."

Darcy bumped her head against his chest in frustration and rolled her eyes. "He _was_ joking. We'd never work out because Erik is gay. He likes dudes. Oh my god."

She walked back over to the stove to resume her cooking.

"Just how much do you tell Erik, about the intimate nature of your relationships?"

Darcy began to laugh, thinking about the Goddess of Oral Pleasure. "About as much as I'd tell Jane. I don't usually go into detail or anything."

She faced towards him to try and reassure him one more time, as she was done talking about it. "Listen. Esteban was just a fling. He was never meant to be anymore than that. I never thought that I was ever going to be his girlfriend and he would be my boyfriend … I was never going to marry him. It was about art. Finding myself. That kind of thing. And when it ended … it ended. We were still friends … we'd still email about painting, about the business, and mutual friends. It's not a big deal." She then frowned. "Although now it's turned into something extremely weird … as he's like, banging my mom. _Ugh_."

Loki then seemed to realize that he wasn't exactly supporting or "taking care of" his new girlfriend very well, like he'd talked about. He walked over and began to rub Darcy's shoulders. "I am sorry," he said, softly. "I know this all has to be very … _strange_."

"Ha! _Strange_. That's for sure."

A burst from the front door indicated that someone was home. Erik and Jane came rolling in with bags of groceries.

"Alright, I'm here! Time for me to salvage this incredibly exciting dinner we're having," Erik said, with a grin.

Darcy turned around, outraged. "I have everything under control."

"Please, I could smell the burnt garlic from outside the door. Stand aside, Jane gave me your little menu. You are flirting with disaster, by the way."

Darcy then surrendered and sat down at the kitchen table, all of a sudden exhausted. Jane started unpacking the groceries. "So what's going on?" she asked. "Your text messages couldn't be right … your mom is here with Esteban?"

Loki tried to sit down as well, but Erik wasn't having it. "No, no, gorgeous … you keep pulling that chicken off the bones, all of it, I don't want to see any of it wasted." He was already in chef-mode.

Darcy watched as Loki did as he was told and smiled. "Um. Yeah," she said. "Apparently my mom is now dating Esteban."

"NO!" Jane gasped.

"Yep."

"Ew."

"That's what I said."

"Hey now," Erik chided, as he started working his magic at the counter. "Gianna is allowed to have a little fun, too."

"Sure," Darcy said. "She's allowed. But does it have to be with that particular guy? There are thousands of other artists in New York City for her to have a little fun with."

He shrugged. "She knew Esteban before you did … hell, _Jane_ knew Esteban before you did."

Loki looked up from the chicken, confused.

Jane cleared her throat and gave Erik a dirty look, while Darcy quickly changed the subject. "Doesn't matter. It's still fucked up. I mean … what's his deal? He was older than me, but not _that_ much older … my mom is like, _old_."

"Hey, she's not _that_ old, and she's a beautiful woman. If I was into that sort of thing, Gianna would be my kind of woman," Erik said.

Loki seemed to be nodding as if he was in agreement and Darcy stared at him with wide eyes. "Fine! Why not everybody just fuck my mom, then! You guys can all have some big orgy!" She reached over to the bottle of wine that Jane was trying to open and took the corkscrew out of her hand, as she was taking too damn long with it.

"Darcy, honey, stop it." Erik took the wine out of her hand and poured her a glass. "Ladies in the middle of a crisis never pour their own drinks." He handed it to her. "Drink up."

"It's all going to be okay," Jane said, taking a glass of her own. "It'll be nice to see them again … maybe it won't be so bad. Your mom is probably just lonely … Esteban is good with that sort of thing," she said, wistfully.

Darcy nodded, but she didn't want to agree with her. "Maybe."

Another burst from the front door sounded, and in came the very strange couple that everyone had been talking about. Darcy's mom walked in holding another bottle of wine, and looking stunning in a simple black dress and red lipstick. Esteban came in behind her, his short black hair perfect, and his dark eyes practically dancing. Erik nodded at him, grinning.

"Jane! Let me look at you," the older woman said, excited to see the girl who was like a second daughter to her. Jane stood and they embraced. Gianna then held her back to get a better view. "My beautiful little healer, how are you?"

Jane beamed and Darcy momentarily forgot about the awkward situation, always happy to see Jane acknowledged as part of the family, since her parents had always kind of been assholes. "I am well," she said. "How are you?"

"Wonderful!"

"Jane, you are looking lovely," Esteban said, in his Spanish accent, laced with sex.

She blushed and grinned. "Thank you."

Loki could be seen rolling his eyes.

Gianna then went up to Erik, giving him an embrace and a kiss. "Fancy seeing you here, my tall handsome chef … and not in Manhattan. What a nice little party we have here."

Darcy then stood, wine glass in hand. "How's the cabin?" she asked, trying to be polite, as it was actually pretty awesome to see her mom ... though it wasn't exactly comforting, like a reunion with her normally was.

"Gorgeous," her mom gushed. "Very cozy. The scenery is beautiful … such a nice area you've discovered here, I'm so glad you decided on Asgardia." She walked up to her daughter and took her in her arms, giving her a big warm hug.

Darcy returned the hug, closing her eyes. "It's good to see you, mom."

Gianna glanced over to Loki and grinned, slipping into Italian. " _And that is a very beautiful man, you found,_ piccolina … _how do you like him_?"

"Tanto," Darcy said. _A lot._

" _Is he the one_?"

Darcy sighed. " _We've only been dating a short while_."

Her mother brushed a bit of hair out of her eyes in a maternal gesture. " _Of course … but you know how it was, with me and your father_ ," she said, a little sad.

"Si."

" _But then again_ ," Gianna said, tilting her head. " _Have your fun, little darling … why buy the cow, when you can sit on the horns for free_?"

Jane, understanding every bit of the Italian … and also knowing that Loki had understood, started to laugh … finding it funny that he had put her in a similar position weeks earlier.

Darcy stuck out her chin, trying not to react as well, but not doing a very good job at it.

Loki stood in the corner, with an unreadable look on his face. One could say it was probably shock.

She was internally screaming, but tried to keep a calm facade.

_Why buy the cow, WHEN YOU CAN SIT ON THE HORNS FOR FREE!?_

"Mom," Darcy said, both grinning on the outside and cringing on the inside, mortified. "Loki speaks Italian."

Gianna's face lit up in a big smile. "He speaks Italian?!"

Darcy blushed, full red.

_Oh god, everything she ever wanted in a man for me …_

She let Darcy go and stepped up to Loki, as if nothing was awkward. She grabbed him, pulling him into a hug, then held him back like she had with Jane and Darcy … which was very cute, seeing as she was quite a bit shorter than he was. Loki seemed mystified, but didn't look at all offended. She reached up and brushed hair from his eyes as well. "He speaks Italian. You are perfect. Welcome to the family!"

Loki looked over at Darcy, his eyes seeming to plead with her for help … but she could only shake her head and laugh.

It was at this time that Thor decided to walk in, though no one had noticed him at first.

"Oh, dear god." Esteban said, seeing him. "A giant mountain man! … with a bouquet of flowers. How precious."

Thor stood by the kitchen entrance, confused … holding a small bouquet and yet another bottle of wine. Though the flowers probably only looked small because the man holding them was so huge.

He squinted his eyes at Loki. "What did I miss?"

Darcy drained her wine.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

After introductions were made and Thor was still very confused, everyone sat down at the dining room table, while Erik insisted on finishing dinner.

The conversation mainly stayed in the realm of the mundane … talk of Thor's football career, Loki's book, and Esteban's recent gallery opening. Eventually, Loki began to relax, and actually seemed quite comfortable with Darcy's mother's attentions, already assuming that he was the love of Darcy's life ... as he spoke Italian.

But then Erik began to bring in the plates, serving Gianna, Jane, and Darcy, first.

Gianna looked up at her daughter. "What is this?" she asked, as a plate full of latkes were set in the middle of the table, family-style.

Darcy took a sip of wine, about her third or fourth glass at this point. "Latkes and matzo ball soup," she said with a shrug.

Her mother slipped back into Italian. " _How dare you do this to me_."

Darcy frowned. " _What? My first dinner at the table was Nonna's recipes … I decided to switch to grandma's recipes for the next dinner. It is her table, after all._ "

Gianna's voiced raised. " _You make that woman's recipes for me? At this table? Why not just stab me in the heart?!"_

" _That woman was your mother-in-law!_ "

" _Yes! She was! And she's dead, thank god!"_

"MOM!"

" _This is about Esteban, isn't it_ ," she said, pointing over at him. " _So you serve that woman's food, rubbing it in my face that her recipes were your father's favorite_!"

" _What? No! Don't be so dramatic_."

Mother and daughter then both stood and proceeded to scream at each other, in Italian.

" _I'm the one being dramatic, when you're shoving this in my face_." Gianna picked up a latke and tore it in half.

Erik then took a hint, and stopped serving food. Both he and Jane, accustomed to Darcy and Gianna's wine-fueled screaming matches in rapid Italian, started to usher Loki, Thor, and Esteban, quietly into the living room.

" _Oh yes, let's talk about who's shoving what in whose face_!" Darcy screamed, barely making sense. " _You could have given me a little warning instead of showing up like that unannounced!_ "

" _We thought it would be best to just come out with it, and not rip the band-aid slowly_."

" _Well, your timing was horrible. I was in the middle of trying to fuck my boyfriend!_ "

" _I'm so sorry for interrupting, dear daughter … but I am happy for you, why can't you be happy for me?!"_

Darcy threw up her hands. " _Why him?! Don't you think it's a bit STRANGE? He's fucked everybody! He puts Fucky to shame! Hell … he's fucked Jane! He's fucked three people in this house! Possibly four … he's probably fucked Erik! They're both huge fucking WHORES!_ "

Gianna put her hands on her hips. " _Oh, stop being so American, so uptight … stop being such a prude!"_

" _How can I stop being American? I'm a fucking AMERICAN! I WAS BORN HERE!"_

" _YOU are half-Italian, young lady … the GOOD part, and I did not raise you to be a judgemental prude like your horrible grandmother!"_

" _PRUDE?! I am not a prude! In the last twenty-four hours, Loki's tongue has been over every inch of my body!"_

Her mother glared. " _Good for you! I am happy for you. Now why can't you be happy for me? Understand that I want a tongue all over MY body?!"_

Darcy cringed, but mustered on. " _FINE! Have at it, but I hope it's fun for you … stuck in about two positions while he's lying on his back, and you're DOING ALL THE WORK!"_

Gianna stood and stared at Darcy for a few seconds before sitting back down and laughing. She picked up her glass of wine. " _That part is a little strange_ ," she said.

Darcy smiled, the tension diffused. "Very strange," she said, switching back to English. They both broke out into giggles, any hard feelings suddenly washed away. It was something that was a bit of a ritual for them … inappropriate fights that suddenly morphed into a mutual understanding.

Gianna held up her wine glass. "It's good to see you, piccolina," she said warmly, much more quiet.

Darcy picked hers up and followed suit. "It's good to see you, too."

"Now what do we do about everyone in the other room?"

Darcy shrugged and rolled her eyes. "Oh, who the hell knows."

This was going to be fun.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I said that Erik and Loki would speak in Swedish in this one, but I was a bit over-zealous with that. I'm not sure what I was thinking. That will have to be from his point of view, which will happen next chapter.
> 
> Next up: Loki notices the G.O.P. and Erik gets creative.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Loki has a very strange evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man ... I wrestled with this chapter. Alright alright, I'll post it. I'm cool with it now ... I guess ;-)

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

_Bruce: How was last night? Did everything go okay?_

_Bruce: Loki?_

_* Hours later *_

_Bruce: If you don't text me back, I'm going to call Thor._

_Loki: For Valhalla's sake, I'm fine._

_Bruce: How was your night? Are you okay?_

_Loki: The night was good._

_Bruce: Good?_

_Loki: Nothing happened that is going to make me relapse, Banner. Thanks for your concern, but I'm fine._

_Bruce: No, YOU were the one leaving me text messages, and I get out of surgery, try to answer you back and get nothing._

_Loki: I do apologize for that, I was busy._

_Bruce: That's all you've got to say? Busy?_

_Loki: Very well. I was busy having sex for the first time in gods knows how long. Sex that I can recall, anyway._

_Bruce: Oh. Well, then. I'm sorry, I was just worried. You should answer your texts! Is everything okay? You know, the day after?_

_Loki: Yes, everything is fine. Wonderful, actually. But I'm in the middle of the strangest dinner of all time. Can I call you later?_

_Bruce: Of course. I'm happy for you, Loki._

_Loki: Thank you. The surgery was a success, then?_

_Bruce: So far so good._

…

Loki watched as a big plate of latkes were placed in the center of the dining table … and Erik began to serve matzo ball soup … from what he remembered from Darcy's blog, a dish that was her father's favorite. He looked over at her. She was chewing on her lip and then took a very big gulp of wine.

_Oh, dear sweet Darcy … what are you doing …_

"What is this?"

He was sitting next to her and across from her mother. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Darcy shrug, after sipping at her wine again.

"Latkes and matzo ball soup," she said.

Gianna's eyes narrowed. " _How dare you do this to me_ ," she said, in Italian.

" _What? My first dinner at the table was Nonna's recipes … I decided to switch to grandma's recipes for the next dinner. It is her table, after all._ "

Gianna's voice grew louder, her eyes fiery. It wasn't exactly an unattractive look. " _You make that woman's recipes for me? At this table? Why not just stab me in the heart?!"_

" _That woman was your mother-in-law!_ "

" _Yes! She was! And she's dead, thank god!"_

"MOM!"

Loki was transfixed by what was happening before him, but then he felt a foot on top of his, underneath the table. He looked up to see Thor, sitting across from him, and next to Jane. He had a bewildered look on his face … and seemed to be asking a question with his eyes. _What the hell is going on?_ His brother didn't understand Italian, had no real idea of the dynamics of the situation, and for once in his life, looked absolutely uncomfortable around people.

Loki gave him a slight shrug ... and he noticed that Jane had a look on her face that read … _not this again_.

" _This is about Esteban, isn't it_ … _so you serve that woman's food, rubbing it in my face that her recipes were your father's favorite!_ "

" _What? No! Don't be so dramatic_."

Darcy's mother stood. " _I'm the one being dramatic, when you're shoving this in my face!_ " She then picked up a latke from the center plate and tore it in half, sending the pieces flying to either side of the room.

As Darcy stood, he tried to reach his arm over to calm her, but Erik came from behind and slapped it away. Loki was about to protest … but when he looked up, Erik shook his head, tugging on him to get up. Jane was doing the same thing with Thor from across the table, and they were all swept away to the living room, with Esteban behind them.

_Damn that man._

"Look at the trouble you've caused," Jane whispered heatedly, to Esteban.

The artist held up his hands as he sat down on the couch. "I have done nothing. I've tried my best to say as little as possible … all of this was Gianna's idea."

"It'll be okay," Erik said, as he sat down next to him. "They just need to have it out … then they'll be fine." He looked over to Loki. "It happens."

"And what is that, screaming matches?" Loki asked.

Jane nodded her head from where she was sitting on the loveseat with Thor. "Not _all_ the time … but usually if they haven't seen each other in awhile. You should've seen some of their holiday parties," she smiled.

Erik agreed. "Those were legendary."

Loki had a strong urge to go back into the dining room and help to calm Darcy down, but it seemed as though the others knew her better at this point, a fact that bothered him if he was being honest with himself. He sat down in an easy chair and kept an ear on their argument … the sounds of Darcy speaking a different language so fluently and so passionately, quite unexpectedly, given the situation … was a _total_ turn-on.

_"Oh yes, let's talk about who's shoving what in whose face! You could have given me a little warning instead of showing up like that unannounced!"_

" _We thought it would be best to just come out with it, and not rip the band-aid slowly!_ "

" _Well, your timing was horrible. I was in the middle of trying to fuck my boyfriend!_ "

Loki's eyes went wide. There was no way in Helheim he would have ever said such a thing in front of his parents ... dear gods, especially his father, the mere idea of it was mortifying. He looked across to see Jane smiling at him.

_Of course, she knows Italian. It's how this whole thing started._

"It's not fair … you guys can understand what they're screaming at each other, I'm jealz," Erik said.

Loki frowned at him. " _Do you not speak Italian?_ " he asked, in Swedish.

Erik beamed, obviously surprised to hear his native tongue, which happened to be Loki's mothers'. "No," he said. "Only kitchen Italian … and I can't understand it when it's being spoken this fast." He glanced over at Esteban. "Do you understand?"

The Spaniard shook his head. "Some words, as it's similar to Español … but my other language is French."

Loki rolled his eyes. "Of course it is."

The screaming from the dining room grew louder.

" _I'm so sorry for interrupting, dear daughter … but I am happy for you, why can't you be happy for me?!"_

" _Why him?! Don't you think it's a bit STRANGE? He's fucked everybody! He puts Fucky to shame! Hell … he's fucked Jane! He's fucked three people in this house! Possibly four … he's probably fucked Erik! They're both huge fucking WHORES!_ "

Jane gasped and now it was Loki's turn to smile. He tipped his head at her, a wry grin involuntarily forming on his face.

"What's wrong?" Thor asked.

Loki looked over at his brother and shrugged. "Just be glad you don't speak Italian, brother."

Erik jumped in. " _Why … did they mention Jane was the first to enjoy a little Esteban action and then passed him around?_ " he asked Loki, in Swedish.

Loki winced.

"WHAT?" Thor's head snapped over to glare at Jane.

"Em. Thor doesn't speak Italian … he however _does_ speak Swedish," Loki said.

Erik grimaced. "Oops. Sorry."

"ERIK!" Jane reached over and pushed at him. She looked over at his brother, though she didn't exactly seem apologetic. "Don't, Thor! It was one time. How many supermodels and strippers … or lets just say 'women in general' have you banged? Hell, it seems like you were up for lots … as there was even that transgender waitress at the restaurant the other day acting like she knew you _very_ well and giving me the stink-eye!"

Loki's eyebrows about raised to his hairline.

"I DIDN'T KNOW!" Thor said, on the defense.

Erik had his hand on his face, trying to hide his laughter, looking like he was having entirely too much fun … and Esteban was reclined back on the couch, as if this sort of thing happened every day.

Darcy and her mother continued their screaming-match.

" _YOU are half-Italian, young lady … the GOOD part, and I did not raise you to be a judgemental prude like your horrible grandmother!"_

" _PRUDE?! I am not a prude! In the last twenty-four hours, Loki's tongue has been over every inch of my body!"_

Loki put his face in his hands. He knew they were different than his more conservative family, at least in the area of expressing ones feelings, obviously very open about the intimate nature of relationships, but that was her _mother_ that heard these things. He had wanted to make a good impression … not give her a play-by-play of their first night together, in the ultimate biblical sense.

He could hear Jane giggling. "It's not a big deal Loki. They're very candid about that stuff."

"What happened?" Thor said, obviously becoming perturbed from being so confused and not knowing what was going on.

"Loki scored last night." Jane said, triumphant.

He sat up and glared at her, but then he was met with a wide toothy grin from his brother. "A-HA! Brother, I knew it! Back in the saddle again!"

Loki groaned in frustration.

Erik was chuckling. "See? I told you, Jane. The G.O.P. has shined down upon this house, blessing us with her loving gaze."

Loki furrowed his brow in confusion at Erik's comment, but his concentration was broken by the fight.

" _FINE! Have at it, but I hope it's fun for you … stuck in about two positions while he's lying on his back, and you're DOING ALL THE WORK!"_

Jane laughed. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that."

"About what?" Thor asked.

Loki rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Nevermind," Jane said.

Erik got up and disappeared into the kitchen, coming back a few moments later with a bottle of wine and a few glasses.

"I think I'll have that drink now," Loki said, referring to the ones he had declined earlier in the evening. He had been going through various stages of being uncomfortable all night … ranging from very to slightly. At this point, he was extremely uncomfortable, feeling as if he was powerless over the situation, unable to help Darcy, as all of these people knew the ins and outs of her life much better than he did … which made him feel like a bit of an outsider. It wasn't necessarily a new feeling … and he hated it.

"Loki," Thor said, with a warning in his voice.

"I'm fine," he said through his teeth, emphasising each word. Erik poured him a glass and handed it to him.

"Brother, are you alright?"

He rolled his eyes, momentarily looking up, and noticed an eight-armed hindu goddess statue, on top of a bookshelf. Loki frowned as he noticed a pair of familiar-looking panties … the ones Darcy had worn on their first official date, dangling from a golden arm. Next to them, were a pair of men's black boxer-briefs and another pair of lacy white women's underwear.

"What on Earth is that? Is that … _Durga_? With undergarments hanging from her arms?" He asked, mystified.

Erik grinned, looking up at it. "That's the G.O.P."

"Goddess of Oral Pleasure," Jane explained.

Loki thought back on one of his texting conversations with Darcy. He had asked if she had found her underwear that had went missing, and she'd said the G.O.P. had them. He'd thought it was some kind of mistake at the time. Republicans?

Thor started chuckling, but Loki wasn't impressed. If anything, he had become tired. Confused. Like he didn't know what was going on … like he didn't belong here.

He looked up again.

_Where did the white lacy panties come from? Another one of Darcy's conquests?_

"Who's lacy undergarment is that?" he asked, bitterly. "And are those the boxers of the man who conquered the fair maiden?"

"If I recall correctly," Thor said. "I believe those are Jane's … but the others are not mine."

"Oh, those are mine," Erik said. "We each made an offering. I've been finding so much weird shit around this house … I put that up there, made use of it. So far, so good. Either of you are welcome to pay homage to our dear goddess as well."

"Em. No, thank you." Loki said, slightly relieved, but then again a bit put-off … like his sex-life had been put on display for the amusement of others. He took a gulp of wine, the slight warmth of the liquid feeling wonderful traveling down his throat.

"Hm … doesn't seem like Loki needs any help from the G.O.P.," Jane said, taking another glass of wine from Erik. "That's what I heard."

Thor gave him a sympathetic smile. He knew such open talk of things had a tendency to embarrass him, preferring to leave that type of detailed discussion between two people. Loki normally talked in hints and innuendos, a quasi-gentleman outside of the bedroom … but inside the bedroom, once he was comfortable, that was another story altogether.

The day had left him insecure, however. After the shower, Loki had become determined to finish what he and Darcy started … and he'd tried to urge her into the bedroom after drying off, but she had refused. He was worried that he'd lost his touch during his self-imposed period of abstinence. He had needed to get his life back together, his mind back … and sex had a way of derailing all of that, adding unpredictable stress. So he'd sworn it off, until he felt strong again. In control.

_Was it a mistake? Did I lose it?_

That first moment with Darcy … those first few seconds he was inside of her, that velvety silky warm passage … it had been so absolutely exquisite. It was all he could think of. The indescribable pleasure of it. And then when he released himself deep within her, no barriers, it was nothing short of mind-blowing … and he was sober, aware, everything was real, everything was heightened. Nothing was numb, everything was sensitive … he could feel it all, every one of her movements on top of him.

_On top._

He thought back to each encounter they had over the course of the evening … it had always ended with her on top. Or they were in a sitting position. He couldn't just leave it at that. He was determined to give her sweet release every which way.

Darcy's friends broke Loki from his thoughts with their banter.

"Did Darcy mention to you that if you're not getting your eyebrows wet, then you're doing it wrong? Erik said to Jane.

"Oh, yeah." she giggled, well on her way to being tipsy. "It's totally true."

"Your eyebrows are looking very conditioned, Loki," Erik said, grinning.

Loki's eyes unfocused as he stood up, needing some fresh air. "You are very strange, the whole lot of you."

"Will the two of you stop teasing him," Thor chided.

"Hm. And your eyebrows are looking a little dry there."

"Hey!" Jane yelled.

Loki shook his head as he walked out the front door.

_Let Thor be teased for awhile._

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Loki sat on Darcy's front porch, sipping at the glass of wine slowly, breathing in the air. It was finally starting to become cool, especially at night. He wished he had a cigarette … _something_. His mind was darting all over the place, dark thoughts coming to the surface. He needed to calm himself … _somehow_.

He heard a door open and shut … expecting it to be Darcy. He turned around, thinking he'd be relieved, finally … happy to see her. But it wasn't her.

It was Esteban.

Loki rolled his eyes and turned back around, as the man then sat on the steps next to him.

"You shouldn't let these things get to you," the Spaniard said, in his thick accent.

He scowled. "And what do you know about it."

"You've been driving yourself mad with worry all night … I can tell. You shouldn't. No one in that house is out to get you. Erik just teases … it's how he is. He teases those he likes."

Loki took another sip of wine. "The man is vulgar. I'd hate to see what he does to people he doesn't like."

Esteban shrugged. "He would pay them very little attention. Or he would be brutally honest." He began to search his pocket for a pack of cigarettes and smiled. "At some opening reception or other, I once saw him tell a world-renown chef, specializing in seafood, that he'd enjoyed the food more at Captain D's … and it wasn't in jest."

Loki raised a brow. "Ouch."

"They all like to tease … they like to laugh," he said, nodding his head towards the door and the people inside it. "Everyone here is family, it's how they are. There is no need to feel excluded."

"How do you know that's how I feel?"

Esteban shrugged. "I didn't until just now. A habit of yours? They are hard to break … but not impossible. Everyone is all very taken with you. Accept it." He took out a cigarette and lit it, and offered Loki one.

Loki shook his head, figuring the glass of wine was going far enough.

"Darcy likes you a great deal, I can tell."

"And you know the inner-workings of her mind?" he asked, without looking him.

Esteban laughed. "No, of course not. No man can know the inner-workings of a woman's mind. But I have known her for awhile."

Loki narrowed his eyes, looked over and peered at the man. "What is your game?"

Esteban frowned. "I have none. You have nothing to worry about from me." He then smiled. "Darcy was a season … an early spring. An indian summer. Seasons do not last long … there is a beginning and an end, though you barely know when that happens. One day they are there, one day they are not … you always remember them fondly, and hope they come around again, but you cannot relive them. They are never the same. Best to enjoy it while it's there."

"Hm."

Esteban blew out a stream of smoke into the cool night air. "You are not like me though, I can see. You want a northern star, not a season."

The corner of Loki's mouth couldn't help but twitch into a small smile at the observation.

_Damn it._

He recovered quickly and sneered. "Darcy was an Indian Summer for you … how … precious."

"Yes, a welcome respite," Esteban said, unaffected by Loki's rudeness. "A pleasant surprise. That was when I painted her portrait."

"You painted her?"

_This just gets better and better._

He nodded. "Oh yes. There was a very deep wound within her at that time. I tried to capture it, to trap it so that it could not touch her anymore. An intriguing combination, compelling. She was so very sad … and so very beautiful. Yet she did not know it."

"She didn't know that she was sad?"

Esteban slightly shook his head. "No. She didn't know that she was beautiful."

Loki frowned. "How could she not know that …"

The artist turned to him and smiled, though it was a sad smile. "A lot of us grow up believing in myths. It's not our fault … they are taught to us. Most are lies. Among them is that a woman's beauty is wrapped up in how a man perceives them … and eventually, a _certain_ man. A certain boy, in her case."

"Bucky."

"He will regret his choices one day. She will not."

"I'm quite sure he already does."

"You know him?"

Loki turned and looked at him. "You haven't heard? He's here receiving experimental surgery … from one of my good friends, strangely enough. Small world, apparently."

Esteban smiled slowly. "James Barnes is here?"

Loki nodded.

"Best not tell Gianna that … she will find him and kill him."

Loki smiled back. "Well then, I'll have to inform her straight away." He paused, then was compelled to ask a personal question. "What is it between the two of you, anyway? You are genuinely interested in the mother of the daughter you once dated?"

Esteban took a long drag of his cigarette. "Dated. I'm not sure I would call it that, exactly."

"Right … right, forgive me, _seasons_ , blah blah."

He chuckled softly. "I've found that Gianna and I have a lot in common, we take comfort in that."

"What do you mean?"

Esteban inclined his head. "Have you ever been in love?"

_Why am I talking to this man like this?_

Loki hesitated. "I … I don't know. I used to think so."

"Then you haven't."

"And you have?"

Esteban nodded. "Yes. Most definitely. Only once. It was the same for Gianna."

"Ah."

"That. And I like beautiful things. I like to study them. Learn from them."

"Apparently."

"You know. I read your book," the artist said, changing the subject. "I liked it a great deal."

Loki frowned, unsure of how to take the compliment. "Thank you."

Esteban took one last drag of his cigarette and began to put it out. "Hm. I picked it up from an airport kiosk and read it from Paris to New York awhile back. It's one of those rare books that has the ability to change the way one thinks. Alchemy. You are a bit of a magician, Loki."

He laughed. "Magician?"

"Si. Art has the ability to change you. That's all magic is … change. Something that wasn't there, is all of a sudden, there. A spell is the bending of reality. You can bend a person's reality with a book, make them see something that wasn't already there for them. Change their perception of the world. It's a very powerful thing."

Loki smiled as Esteban stood up to go back inside. "You're a very strange man, you realize … and yet I can't help but like you. _Damn_."

"And you're quite the mischievous man, I see … though you veil it with a melancholy shadow. Not unlike Darcy, back then." Esteban tilted his head in thought. "You should have her paint your portrait … capture the pain and trap it. She has magic as well," he said and grinned, before walking into the house.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

After several minutes of contemplating his strange conversation with Esteban, Loki went back inside and followed the sounds of laughter to the kitchen.

"What's all this?" he asked, finding Jane and Thor at the table. They were watching Erik, who had gone back to his cooking … everyone now comfortable and relaxed.

"Erik is salvaging dinner," Jane giggled.

"You're grilling doughnuts?" Loki saw that he had sliced doughnuts down the middle like a bagel, and was toasting them in a pan with butter. "Are you trying to give us all heart-attacks?"

Erik rolled his eyes from where he was standing at the stove. "A little butter never killed anyone. Real food isn't bad … it's all the fake shit you have to worry about." He turned around and handed Loki a small plate. "Here, have a latke sandwich, you're looking a little drawn, Loki. I'm worried about you," he winked.

He looked down at the creation with a look of bewilderment.

"It's really quite good, brother, try it," Thor said, from his seat at the kitchen table. It looked to be a sandwich made with two doughnut halves, a latke, and the condiments typically served with them, applesauce and creme fraiche.

"Erik wanted to make something that wouldn't make Gianna angry. Darcy was pushing her buttons," Jane said.

"So I noticed," Loki said before taking a bite, amazed that such a famous chef had made him such a peculiar dish. But then again, this was the guy who served salads with vinaigrette beads and entrees with foams and vapors. Loki chewed, the sweetness of the doughnut contrasting with the saltiness of the latke, and the mild flavor of the applesauce and creme fraiche balancing them out. "Wow," he said, surprised. "It's quite good."

"He's also doctoring up the matzo ball soup," Thor said.

"Do I want to know?" Loki smirked.

"Deep-fried matzo balls!" Jane said. "He's stuffing them with chicken."

"Or maybe I'll stuff them with Italian sausage," Erik mused. "But then they wouldn't exactly be kosher anymore, would they? Hm. Though I don't exactly care."

"Darcy's grandmother would be spinning in her grave," Jane said.

"Great. Italian sausage it is then."

Loki smiled. He believed he rather liked this rather-vulgar friend of Darcy's.

Erik then turned from the stove again and pointed at Loki. "Now. Go and be a good little cunning linguist and fetch the others for me, hmm? They're up in Darcy's studio."

Jane and Thor chuckled softly.

_But then again … perhaps not._

"Very well," Loki said, as he turned to walk out of the kitchen. "But perhaps you've been sampling the Italian meats for far too long and have forgotten that a nice traditional Swedish sausage provides for much better stuffing possibilities."

Jane and Thor broke out into full laughter as he made his way to the steps.

"Did he just imply that I don't know my sausage?" he faintly heard.

Loki chucked to himself as he came upon Darcy's studio, the first time he'd seen it since walking in on her painting that day … _in her overalls_. But this time she was standing with her arm around her mother, as they looked at several propped-up paintings and a half-finished canvas sitting on an easel.

"They're gorgeous, darling," Gianna said, gazing at them. The two had obviously made up.

Loki realized that he'd never actually looked at her paintings before, and now that he had caught a glimpse, felt as if he'd just seen a part of her that he'd never even known was there. He'd been so focused on her as a would-be writer, that he'd never thought about her as a painter.

Esteban stood with a glass of wine, inspecting one of the paintings up close, talking about color and composition, using an artists language that the other two women understood. It was apparent that they all shared a love for such things.

Loki again, felt like an outsider, looking in.

But then Darcy turned around, her face lighting up at the sight of him. "Loki! There you are," she said, as she held out her arm, waiting for him to take her hand.

He smiled as he walked up to her and slipped his fingers through hers. Darcy looked up at him while squeezing his fingers, happy and much more relaxed now, all of the tension from before, gone.

Perhaps they were just a peculiar family … he and Thor certainly were. And all he needed to do to be a part of it was simply to participate, as they had already accepted him.

Darcy's mother looked the couple up and down and grinned. "The two of you will make such beautiful babies … and you can teach them Italian," she said, beaming.

"MOM! Inappropriate!"

Gianna shrugged.

Of course, it was quite an unconventional way of being included … and certainly overt, much different than what he was used to.

Loki believed he rather liked it.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Others we haven't seen in awhile come back to pay a visit, namely Bucky. And Loki forms a ... plan. Calm before a couple of storms. Muah ha ha ha.
> 
> [Here](http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/12/15/370952462/sandwich-monday-the-hanukkah-miracle) is the link to the latke sandwich ... latke prompt by bookmonstereliz. I have one more to go which will show up soon and which I'm pretty excited about (there's been a hint to it) ... and I might be able to squeeze in a few more if anyone has an idea. 
> 
> Also for anyone who isn't familiar with my inspiration for Dr. Strange (Esteban), if you don't watch Game of Thrones ... omg, he's divine, and I'm sorry, but this man oozes sex in a way Cumberbatch never will. Pedro. 


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Loki gets drawn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter comes after a bit of a mini-vacay for me. It took me a minute to get back into the swing of these characters. Next chapter will be up sooner, but first I'll be posting a MTDG one-shot for Mardi Gras.
> 
> And this chapter is pretty much brought to you by Led Zeppelin ;-) Songs mentioned are "How Many More Times" and "In the Evening" ... Spotify that shit ;-)

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

"How do you feel about butternut squash?"

"I have nothing against it."

"I think I'll do butternut squash and spinach lasagna for my next blog post … I've been neglecting my blog. I've been so bad."

"You've had a lot going on."

Darcy fell into her bed with her clothes still on, her tights, skirt, and top. Loki stood at the edge of the bed looking down on her, smirking.

"Do you not want to put on something more comfortable?"

She propped herself up by the elbow. "Like, how comfortable … like, naked?"

"Perhaps."

Darcy started pulling her shirt over her head, though she got stuck while trying to get it up her arms. "Okay," she said. "But I'm warning you … if all you care about is me getting off, you're going to be disappointed." She gave up on the shirt and lay back, the fabric still on one shoulder and arm.

Loki raised a brow and knelt onto the bed to help her with the shirt. "Of course that's not all I care about … but why is tonight different from last night?"

Darcy giggled. "I've had way too much wine tonight for that."

"Really."

"It's still fun, you know."

"What's that."

"Sex, silly." She sat up and reached her hands back to unhook her bra. "I think it's different for girls … it's not always measured by whether or not you come. It can still be amazing if you don't."

Loki got up and searched the room for one of her t-shirts. "I'm quite sure it is, but I'd rather not test this theory out with a girl who might not remember if it was amazing or not." He picked up a discarded vintage Led Zeppelin shirt that she had been wearing and handed it to her.

Darcy saw him sneak a glance at her bare breasts before she slipped it over her head. "I might be kinda drunk, but I'm not wasted. I don't think you want to see that," she laughed.

"Probably not," he said, an unreadable expression on his face. "Do you wish me to stay?"

She smiled. "Of course!" She patted the other side of the bed. "Come here."

Loki then began peeling off his clothes while she watched, thinking about sketching the lines of his body. She frowned in thought, thinking of where to start. His shoulders? Maybe. His hips? Definitely. "You're really fucking hot, you know that?"

He laughed. "Says the drunk girl."

"Hey, I speak the truth … especially when I'm drunk."

When he was stripped down to his boxers, Loki then climbed into bed next to her. He took her glasses off for her and set them on the nightstand, before reclining back. When Darcy had kicked off her skirt and tights, she quickly found a comfortable spot on his chest, nestled in the crook by his shoulder. "Seriously, you can ask me anything … I shall speak the whole truth and nothing but the truth."

"Hm. This could be dangerous for you."

"Nah. Try me."

"Alright," he said, as he ran his hand up and down her arm. "How is it that Jane, of all people, became acquainted with Esteban?"

Darcy scrunched her face up in thought. "Um. We met him at an art opening … some artist my mom works with was being represented. Jane had just broken up with her douche boyfriend, Blake … long story, and she was on the rebound. She hit it off with Esteban."

"Sounds like a service he provides," Loki responded, dryly.

"What … he hooks up with chicks on the rebound?"

"Perhaps."

"Hm. Maybe. After that, when we ran into him, we'd hang out. He was cool to chill with. He always has the best weed. Him and Erik."

Darcy could feel Loki's arms stiffen and she sat up. She looked down at him, worried. "Does that bother you? Smoking pot? And me drinking copious amounts of wine tonight … are you pissed about that?"

He looked at her for a few seconds and took a deep breath. "No. Of course not. I wouldn't expect you to drastically change in such a way for me … unless you had a problem with these things, which obviously you don't. I just … I suppose I need to get used to being around people again, who talk about drug use casually, instead of people who talk of it in the sense that they are addicts."

Darcy frowned. "Do you really think that smoking pot is like, hardcore drug use? It's like, legal in Colorado and helps with cancer and shit."

Loki smiled slightly. "No. I don't think of it as hardcore."

"Just … tell me if anything I do makes you uncomfortable," she said, taking his hand.

He reached up and cupped her cheek. "Thank you."

"For what?"

Loki shook his head. "For … trying to understand. For your consideration. Now, come over here … I feel like I haven't spent time with you all evening."

Darcy lay back down on her spot on his chest. "Sorry about tonight … it was kind of thrust into my lap. And I'm sorry about my mom … she can be inappropriate sometimes."

She could feel Loki's chest subtly rumble with laughter. "I see where you get it from."

Darcy reached her hand over and flicked his nipple. "And I'm sure it'll get worse with age."

Loki hissed at her touch. "I look forward to it." He ran his fingers through her hair. "I quite like your mother … and strangely enough, I liked Esteban as well."

She smiled. "Yeah, well. I guess it's cool. It's weird to see my mom date again … I knew it would happen, but it just feels … _wrong_."

"I'm sure that it does. For several reasons."

"How would you feel if your dad dated again?"

Loki looked down at her and laughed. "I don't ever see that happening."

"Why not?"

"I can't imagine any woman wanting to deal with that man."

"That man. Your mom dealt with him."

"She was a living saint."

"Is he really that bad?"

Loki sighed. "I don't know anymore. Perhaps not always. My mother did love him … maybe she saw a different man."

Darcy nodded against his chest. "I think couples share things like that. She probably saw your dad's Superman and his Clark Kent. His Batman and his Bruce Wayne."

"And you think all I ever saw was Bruce Wayne?"

"No. All you ever saw was Batman. Bruce Wayne was the flawed human with feelings."

"Hm. You have a way of explaining things."

"I do?"

"Yes. It's very odd."

"So I've been told."

"It's a good thing. Do you have an alter-ego? I'm not sure that you do … I think you're just … so very _you_. Authentically so."

She laughed. "I don't know if I have an alter-ego … but I do have moods."

"Ah yes, so I've noticed."

"When?"

"Oh, there was a little display tonight for instance, a line or two screamed in Italian."

Darcy pulled up the covers around them tighter. "Yeah. Well. We know how to push each other's buttons. But it was good to see my mom … I miss her. She always knows what to say … even if it's inappropriate."

"My mother was like that too."

"Sorry."

"Don't be." They were both silent for several minutes. "Are you asleep?" he asked.

"Hmn."

"You know … I still have a letter that my mother wrote to me. I found it the first time I came back, after her funeral. I never opened it."

"Why not?"

"It's all I have left. If I ever read it … there would be no more."

"Hm. I understand."

"I know you do."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Darcy packed up her drawing pencils, ready to stand up and stretch, and ready to get away from the art building. The class that she taught with Steve was only once a week, but it was three hours long, and she was in desperate need of some java refreshment.

"Bucky is leaving the hospital tomorrow, would you like to visit him with me later?" Steve asked, as he put papers away in his portfolio. "I'm meeting Jane."

She looked up and frowned. In the weeks following Bucky's surgery, she and Steve had managed to not talk about it much … just in passing.

He saw the confused expression on her face and held up his hands. "I'm not trying anything, I promise. I don't know what I was thinking earlier, and I'm really sorry about that." Steve looked down, smoothing out imaginary creases in his papers. "I think seeing him so changed … so different, and injured … it scared me. I thought you might help him. It was stupid of me."

Darcy's face relaxed and she sighed. "Thanks, Steve. I appreciate your apology, and I understand you being scared for your friend. I'm not sure what I would do if I saw Jane in a similar situation … so, you're forgiven. It's cool, yo."

He looked up with his classic melty smile. "Thanks, Darcy."

"Sure. But why do you want me to visit him now?"

Steve shrugged. "We've all moved on, but we've all known each other since we were five years old. More than anything, I think Bucky just needs to feel a little normal again. To not be around people who want to do him harm, or around people who just want to poke him with needles. And Jane will be there. You won't be alone."

Darcy nodded slowly. "Alright."

"Thanks. How's Loki, by the way?"

She smiled. "He's good … but I haven't been able to see much of him lately. I've been so busy with school, and he's been working non-stop on his writing … and this other thing." She didn't want to talk about the top-secret Narfi deal that had Loki and Coulson butting heads 24/7, the thing that had kept him so busy. She missed him. They hadn't been able to spend more than a few days with each other in the span of three weeks, though they texted constantly. Darcy smiled at the thought of their plans later. "But I'll see him tonight," she said. "I'm going to make him dinner. And we have the weekend."

"I know it's hard … me and Sharon don't see much of each other either, during this time. School is crazy for both of us."

"Don't you two live together?"

Steve smiled. "Yep. And even then … it's usually just, 'hi' and 'goodbye' in the mornings."

Darcy wondered if Steve would have seen more of Sharon if he didn't spend most of his free time in Bucky's hospital room. "Hm. Okay. I'll go … but I have to stop over at the yoga studio first and make a few finishing touches to a mural I'm doing."

"Great! I'll see you in a few hours then."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

"It's beautiful Darcy, I love it. You have far and away exceeded my expectations," Natasha said.

Darcy stared at the back wall of the yoga studio with her new friend. It was of a woman in a classic "lotus" pose, kundalini energy represented as a snake coiling up her spine, signifying an awakening.

"Hey, I wanted to invite you to a party that Clint is throwing, something he does every year. It's an all-day thing. On his farm. Next Sunday."

Darcy beamed at her gorgeous friend. "Nice! Sure, I'd love to go."

Natasha then frowned. "I just … I don't know how to say this."

Darcy understood and nodded. "No Loki?" It had taken a few days of hanging out with Natasha in the studio, before she admitted to her that she was seeing Loki. She'd been afraid of seeing anger, but instead she was met with understanding.

Natasha shook her head. "I wouldn't necessarily have a problem with it. I think Loki is certainly trying, and honestly, I have to hand it to him, he seems changed … I respect how dedicated he appears to be to his sobriety. But Clint …"

"No. I understand."

"You do?"

Darcy nodded. "I know what happened … he told me."

Natasha gave her an apologetic smile. "It will probably take Clint awhile. The man can hold onto a grudge."

Darcy wanted to defend Loki. Tell her how he nearly broke himself with regret … how he pieced his life back together … bit by tiny bit. But she decided it might be best to leave it alone.

"So Thor and Jane are obviously invited?"

"Of course!" Natasha smiled. "You'll know people there. You won't be alone."

Darcy tried to give her a polite smile in response. That was kind of what she was afraid of … everyone except Loki would be there. He would be excluded, and she would be a part of that.

She didn't know if she could go. And if she did go … Darcy wasn't sure how she would tell him.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

"Whoa, It's like you have a new arm," Darcy said, while inspecting Bucky's new hand. "You're like … bionic or something." She stared in disbelief at the silver appendage, looking very much like it belonged on him, like he was actually born with it.

Jane walked up to where he was sitting on the edge of his hospital bed, and inspected the arm closely. "Flex your hand," she said.

Bucky grinned as he extended his silver arm and opened and closed his fist.

"Holy shit," Jane said.

"You're like Luke Skywalker," Darcy chimed in.

"I know," Bucky said, his spirits obviously much more lifted than the last time she saw him.

Dr. Banner stood in the doorway talking to someone, and when Darcy looked up, he waved his hand as if he was shooing them away. Bruce looked at the little party gathered around his patient. "Alright Bucky … it's time for social hour to end. We have a few more therapy sessions before tomorrow."

Steve stood up to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow when we pick you up … I've got to get back to the art building." He shook Dr. Banner's hand before walking out the door. "Thank you, doctor."

Bruce looked at the others, expecting them to leave as well. "Wait," Darcy said. "I have a gift for you." She looked up and saw Bucky grin at her. With his irresistible smile, and his insanely attractive longer hair, it made her blush.

_Turn it off, Darcy. Turn. It. Off._

Darcy dug around in her purse and pulled out a magnet. She stuck it on Bucky's new silver bicep. He looked down at it, "The Real Magneto?" He looked up and laughed.

"Yep. Just … if you see the real Erik Lehnsherr out and about, steer clear, because all he'd have to do is raise his hand and concentrate and you're toast."

Jane reached into her purse as well, pulling out a magnet of her own. "Here ya go." She placed it on his metal forearm. It was a picture of President Lincoln in sunglasses. "Abe Magnet."

Bucky laughed. The first time Darcy had seen his genuine laugh in years.

Jane's phone beeped and she took it out of her pocket to read the message. "I have to go … Dr. Odinson is being released from the hospital today, after some complications. I'm going to go help Thor."

Darcy frowned. "Is he okay?"

Jane nodded. "Yeah. He's stable, tired of being in the hospital … I think it'll do him good to be back at home."

"Oh." Darcy wasn't sure why, but it felt weird that Jane was so close to Thor and Loki's dad, and she hadn't even met him yet.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She took it out.

 _Are you still in class?_ Loki asked. Weird.

 _No … I'm at the hospital._ She wondered why he wouldn't tell her that his dad was getting out of the hospital that day.

After Jane left, Bruce received a call, which he took in the hallway … leaving Darcy and Bucky alone in the room together.

She got up to leave.

"Darcy," Bucky said quickly … before she could say her goodbyes. "Do you think it's possible … do you think we could ever …"

She looked down, knowing where this was headed. "Bucky. I'm … I'm dating someone."

"Oh. Do you …"

Darcy thought about before … how he had the ability to make her stop seeing someone and get back together with him. She looked him the eye, in order to give him no doubts. "Stop. No. He's someone that I really like."

Bucky nodded. "The writer."

"Yes. The writer … Loki. But I want you to understand … even if I was alone. Even if I was single … the answer would still be no. Not ever.

He sighed. It was a painful sigh. "I am sorry, you know," he said, softly.

Darcy only nodded. "We'll always be connected … hell, we grew up together. I think maybe … we can all still be friends. In time."

He took his old and faded photograph of the two of them, out of his pocket. It was as if he'd carried it around as a security blanket. A memento that he'd put all of his hopes of getting back home into. She thought maybe his wanting to get back together had more to do with that … then it actually had to do with her, as a real woman. A real human being.

Darcy nodded towards it. "I know you kept that while you were over there, and I know I can't even fathom what happened to you, what you went through … but you don't need that anymore. You're home now. With all new possibilities."

Bucky smiled and nodded. "You're right."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Darcy opened her door to find a very happy man behind it. Loki quickly wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her ribs in a tight embrace. "I feel like I haven't seen you in ages," he said, before picking her up off the ground and putting his mouth to hers in a soft kiss.

"Mmmmm." Darcy broke the kiss. "I can see where this is going," she said, almost dizzy. "But I actually did make dinner for you tonight … so."

He set her down and searched her face with his eyes in that way of his, like he was looking for any tells or secrets written upon her features. "Alright then," he grinned. "What will we be having? I am famished."

She turned around and led him by the hand to the kitchen.

"In more ways than one …" he added.

Loki sat down at the table where Darcy had set up the plates.

"Caramelized apple and brie bruschetta, butternut squash and spinach lasagna … and dessert," she announced, as she began to serve the meal.

"Wow, I am getting too spoiled by you, Darcy," Loki said, as he took his first bite.

"Never," she smiled.

"How's cooking been without Erik?" he asked.

"Eh. On one hand it sucks because he always teaches me so much, but on the other hand, he makes me nervous."

Loki must have liked what he was eating, because he silently scarfed down half his lasagna in a matter of minutes.

"I'm sorry that I didn't get to seem him again before he went back to New York," he said, between bites.

Darcy sipped on a Sprite. "Oh, he'll be back … I guess him and Thor are conspiring about something. And in the few days he spent here, he managed to meet all the cool people in town, as usual. He's doing some kind of pop-up thing, and then cooking for a charity holiday ball."

"And Thor is helping to plan this?"

Darcy shrugged. "I guess. It's what I heard."

"It must be for my father's holiday gala … my mother would use it to raise money for her charities."

"Oh." Darcy was confused. "Erik is working your dad's party?"

"I suppose that's what it is … Father is too ill to plan it, so it falls to Thor."

"You're not helping?"

Loki frowned. "I haven't exactly been asked to help. I've been so very busy … and Thor needs something to occupy his time."

Darcy raised her eyebrows. "Makes sense, I guess."

"What is it?"

She sighed. "I don't know … it's just, like … it seems like everyone knows your dad but me. Are you going to introduce me to him? Or is it still too early for that? Jane talks about him all the time, like … Thor brings her around."

Loki set his fork down and looked at her intently. "Darcy. Thor brings her by because Jane is a resident. A doctor. It's the sort of thing Thor likes to do anyway … he and my father are close. I have a very different relationship with him. We are not close. I do not see him nearly as much."

"Gotcha." It didn't exactly make total sense to her, since Loki's whole entire reason for being in town, was to help take care of his father … but whatever. She wasn't going to say it.

"And I'm not sure you would enjoy the experience of meeting my father," he said.

"Why do you say that? Parents usually love me."

Loki smiled. "I'm sure they do … but my father is … critical. Especially with anything having to do with me."

Darcy scrunched up her eyebrows. "Soooo … I'm just never going to meet him?"

"At some point. I'm sure it's unavoidable."

She gave a sarcastic laugh. "Thanks."

Loki shook his head. "It's not … like that. It's nothing to do with you."

"Okay."

They ate in silence for several minutes, Darcy refusing to start the conversation back up.

_Let him do it._

"Were you at the hospital visiting Jane?" he finally asked.

Darcy shrugged. "Sort of. Steve talked me into seeing Bucky with them. He's being released from the hospital tomorrow."

Loki squinted his eyes slightly, and then something in him relaxed. She wasn't sure what to make of it. Was he angry? He was so unreadable at times.

"How was it?"

Darcy looked up and smiled. "You know, it was good. It's like … the thought of him doesn't send me into a blind rage anymore. It's like … he's _gone_. He's gone from here," she said, tapping her chest.

Loki raised a brow. "Where is he?"

"He's in my past."

He looked at her for several seconds. Blank. "Will all of you still be friends?"

"Like … me and Jane … Bucky and Steve?"

He nodded.

"Maybe we can be friends, but we're not like … a foursome. We're just kids from the same neighborhood." Darcy narrowed her eyes at him. "Am I telling you what you want to hear, Loki?"

He blinked. "I … I am sorry. Of course. I suppose I am just not used to someone being so open."

"You expect me to lie?"

"Not exactly."

"What do you expect?"

Loki poked at his lasagna with a fork, like a kid … which was odd, because usually his table manners were impeccable. Formal dinner or not. "I expect ... that when I am happy … that I will eventually be disappointed."

Darcy nodded. "I understand that, Loki. But don't go out searching for reasons to be disappointed. Like, a self-fulfilling prophecy, or whatever."

He still looked down, stabbing pieces of squash, and Darcy realized that while he admitted that he was afraid of disappointment, he had also admitted to her that he was happy. She wondered if that was something he did. Ever.

"So … you're happy?"

He looked up, with his bright iridescent eyes that seemed to catch whatever color he happened to be wearing. Today they were a soft blue-grey, like his shirt. His eyes always made her want to practically swoon. "I am happy," he said, and smiled softly.

"Me too. Very happy." She smiled back at him. "It's weird."

"I know." The corner of his mouth twitched in that cute way of his.

Darcy then realized that she wanted to capture him … to record, to seek out every angle and contour of his face and body and put it on paper, like she wanted to the first day they met.

"Can I draw you?"

Loki visibly blushed and laughed. "What do you mean?"

"I want to sketch you."

"Did Esteban put you up to this?"

"What? No. What does he have to do with it?"

He looked down and shook his head. "Nothing … he just suggested … a painting, nevermind."

Darcy peered at him. "He suggested that I paint you?"

Loki shrugged.

"Good suggestion, but I still have to sketch you first … I need to do a figure study." The grin on her face didn't exactly look studious, it looked positively devious.

Loki grinned back at her, though she could tell he was shy … something she found quite endearing. "Very well … but first may I ask, what's for dessert?"

"You're stalling."

He raised a brow. "I'm not. I simply want to know."

Darcy got up from the table, took a few steps to the fridge, and pulled out two ramekins filled with chocolatey goodness. She set them down in front of him. "Little deaths by chocolate," she said.

"Little deaths?"

"Yeah … see?" she gestured towards them. "They're little, they each have their own cup. Not like a big cake. Get it?"

Loki smiled up at her. "Yes, but you realize that … little death, le petite mort, is how the french might describe an … orgasm."

Darcy pursed her lips and tapped her finger to her cheek. "Hmm, I did not know that. Nope. No way on Earth I would have named a chocolate dessert after an orgasm."

Loki knit his brows together. "Just exactly what were you planning for this evening?"

She shrugged, feigning total innocence. "Nothing at all. What were you planning?"

They stared at each other for a few seconds, a strange contest. Loki was first to blink. "Would you mind very much if we enjoyed these fine desserts after?"

"After what?"

"Le petite mort."

Darcy smiled. "Oh. Totally … but I'm still drawing you first. You're not getting out of it."

Loki rolled his eyes and sighed.

"It's not going to be that bad," Darcy said, as she put her desserts away and then pulled on his arms to make him stand up. "Come on …"

She led him up the stairs and into her studio. He stood in the doorway with his hands in his pockets.

Darcy pulled him inside and shut the door. "I figured you'd love something like this … with the way you dress, in your tight jeans and perfect hair and errrrything," she said, as she waved her hand up in down in his direction. "I figured that your vanity would have a field day, being drawn."

He acted shocked. "You believe me to be vain?"

"Am I wrong?"

He smiled slowly. "Not exactly … I suppose. I am just … out of practice, you could say."

"At the whole dating thing?"

Loki nodded.

Darcy shrugged. "Well, you're not exactly alone in that department. Now come over here and strip. Sit in that chair." She pointed to the comfortable chair she usually sat in to paint.

He looked confused. "You want me to strip … naked?"

She giggled. "Not if you're uncomfortable. But that's what figure drawing classes are, basically … drawing naked people for three hours."

"Really," he said. "How many of these drawing classes have you had?"

"Pretty much every year of art school … and there's a different model every week, so I've seen a lot of naked people. But they're mainly women," she said.

"Ah."

Loki began to unbutton his shirt as Darcy dragged her "art horse", which was really just a wooden bench that you straddle, and where you can prop up a drawing board, over to where she would have a good view. When he'd sat down in nothing but boxers, she began to adjust the lighting until the shadows contrasted nicely and brought out the contours and the lines of his body and lean muscles.

_Damn. Concentrating is going to be tough._

Darcy went to her work bench and decided whether or not she liked the angle. "So you're going to wear your boxers?"

He raised his brows. "You wish me to be naked?"

She shrugged. "Well, with the way you're sitting in that chair, you might as well be." He always sat with his legs splayed wide, because he was so tall … and in this case, it left little to the imagination.

He then began to slip his boxers off, and she looked down, concentrating on finding her drawing supplies. He was actually being a pretty good sport about it, and she found it unbelievably cute. "This isn't quite fair," he said. "You're fully clothed."

She looked up at him. He was totally naked.

_Ho-ly fuck … bad! You need to draw him first, then jump his bones. Draw first. Then jump bones. Draw. Bones._

"Duh. You're naked. I wear clothes. I'm the one drawing you. Maybe one of these days you can draw me … or I'll take all my clothes off and you can write about me. I don't know, it's just how it is … now find a comfortable position," she commanded.

Darcy reached over to a nearby table and slid her phone into her studio iHome. She began to select music, though she was having trouble concentrating on much of anything. "What are you doing?" Loki asked.

"I can't concentrate without music. Any requests?"

He shook his head, so she just played what she had on last … Led Zeppelin. "How Many More Times". Darcy bit her lip and flared her eyes.

_This couldn't be more sexy if I tried._

She finally sat down, straddling her bench with her drawing board, a new sheet of paper, a conté crayon … and attempted to pay attention. At first she made a quick and sketchy outline of his body and then began to create concrete lines … but something was wrong.

Darcy got up and walked over to him. He looked up and tried to reach for her, but she slapped his hand away. "Nope! No moving. You have to stay completely still." She reached behind his head and pulled out the elastic holding his ponytail, then stood back and arranged his hair so that it hung perfectly.

_So fucking soft._

He stared at her the whole time, trying to catch her eyes … but she kept them off of his, so she could concentrate. "There," Darcy said. "Perfect. Don't. Move."

She went back to finish her drawing … nailing everything down, shading, highlighting. When she got to his hips, in order to finish the detail there, she almost had to hold her hands down and plant her feet on the ground, in order to stop herself from going over to where he was sitting, get on her knees, and lick every line and curve around his waist … and below.

After about a half hour of drawing, staring at Loki's gorgeous fucking body, and listening to music filled with the ultimate sexy guitar, drums, and bass, she had had enough. Her body was screaming for an end to this self-induced torture. And Loki had been a good boy … such a good model … and had kept still, only staring at her with an intense gaze that she tried not to meet.

Darcy decided to play.

She grabbed the hem of her t-shirt and pulled it up and over her head.

"What are you doing?" he asked, the first words he'd said in a while.

"Nothing," she said, while looking down at her drawing. "It's just kinda hot in here. And don't move unless I tell you to … and no talking. I need to concentrate."

A little grin formed on his face as he settled back into his pose.

Darcy then reached behind and unhooked her bra, letting it slip off her shoulders in front of her, and then down onto the floor.

"Still hot?"

"I said no talking."

She then watched him, acting as if she was still drawing … and what had been at least half-hard the whole time he'd been modeling, was now growing full-on hard.

She briefly stood up, unbuttoned, and slipped down her jeans and panties. Darcy could see his muscles clench as they moved for him to get up. "No!" She pointed at him. "You can't move. You'll ruin the pose."

At this point, she was as naked as he was … and she straddled her bench again, sitting behind her drawing board … which then obstructed the view for him.

_Poor guy._

"Darcy," he had a look of determination on his face, as if he was restraining himself and it was taking every ounce of energy in order to do it.

"Shhhh."

She took a second to stretch, arching her back, pushing her breasts out … and then went back to sketching for a few minutes, pleased with herself … although knowing she was going to get paid back and then some, for all the teasing she was doing.

"Okay," Darcy said. "I think I want to try a different pose." She took her conté crayon and held it out with her thumb, like she was measuring proportions. "Can you wrap your fingers around your dick?"

Loki only arched a brow and breathed heavily for a moment, but then moved his hand and obeyed … though he looked as if he was going to stand up, march over to her, and push her down on her knees any second.

_And really, would that be so bad?_

"Great." She tilted her head in contemplation. "Okay, can you move your hand up a little?"

He did as she asked, though he stuck his chin out in a way that said, "you're in trouble."

"Hmmmm. No, go ahead and move it back down."

She watched as he stroked his cock downwards, as ordered.

"Awesome. Now … do that a few more times so I can see what is best."

His breathing grew harder, and he moved his hand up and down … up and down, just like she asked.

The sight of Loki stroking his cock was just a little too much.

Darcy closed her eyes and leaned back, her own hand traveling down, and her fingers finally touching what had been aching for the last hour.

"Dar—" he said, strain in his voice.

She moaned over him. "I said no talking," she said, then stilled her hand.

Slowly she stood up and slinked over to him, swaying her hips. When she reached him, he tried to once again, reach out, but she again, slapped his hands away. "Don't move until I say … you don't want to ruin the pose."

He closed his eyes and growled in frustration while she tortured him further by straddling him, sitting on his thighs, barely making contact where he wanted it so badly … his cock rock-hard and seeping.

Darcy lifted his chin with one hand, making him look at her, and then slipped the two fingers she was using to pleasure herself with, into his mouth. His eyes flared as his tongue ran over them and he sucked. She felt a wave of lust and want hit her hard at the feel of his mouth, but then she quickly withdrew her hands and cupped her own breasts, kneading them, as she arched her back suggestively. "You want to touch?" She looked down at him with a wanton grin.

Loki took a breath to restrain himself, and then gave her a dark stare. "Yes," he said, practically shaking.

She inclined her head. "Okay. Since you were such a good boy. You can touch. You can move now." She took his hands and led them to her tits as she crashed her lips onto his.

He groaned into her mouth as he squeezed and frantically searched her skin, desperately grabbing onto her ass to pull her as close as possible. His fingers reached between them and found her clit. Darcy closed her eyes and cried out at the sudden touch. "Your sweet cunt," he said … the first time she'd heard the word come out of his mouth. "So wet."

_Fuck, that was hot._

He hissed as she wrapped her fingers around his dick and moved her hand up and down like he had. "You want me to fuck you?"

"Darcy … please."

He had his hands splayed across her lower back, urging her on, pulling her to him.

She let go of his cock as she rose up slightly, looking him in the eye the whole time, her slick flesh dragging along his shaft. He gripped her thighs and she sank down onto him as he drove his hips up, in order to fill her completely, both of them giving a long cry of pleasure at finally being joined.

Darcy rolled her hips a few times, finding the right angle, the right footing to steady herself. She could tell he needed it to be fast, and he needed it to be hard, his fingers digging into her skin, frantically urging her to move. "You want me to ride you?"

She began slow, but soon started to move fast and hard.

He threw his head back and practically sobbed. "Yesssss. Ride … me."

He thrust his hips up to meet her every movement and pretty soon they were totally in sync, pressed together, undulating, a perfect push and pull. He bent his head so his lips could latch onto a nipple, and he bit down hard … the sensation, the shocking pleasure mixed with pain only inspired her to move faster. In a frenzy.

"Come," he managed to say through their heavy breathing and moaning. "Come on my cock."

She gave him a bruising kiss, biting his lower lip … then she angled her hips to be able to grind against him perfectly. "Right there … right there."

 _There_.

"I'm … going to … come … so … _hard_."

The words he said next were unintelligible.

One second … two seconds … and off the edge she fell.

And there it was, that perfect moment when your whole being is just pure blissful sensation. There isn't a thought in your head, your mind still … it's your body that's singing. Humming. Vibrating.

Darcy put her forehead onto Loki's shoulder, panting, coming down … and she vaguely realized that she was being lifted. He began to carry her out of the studio, her legs wrapped around him, and he obviously didn't care if anyone else was home to see them … as he left the door open, the sound of rock music following them down the hallway.

" _In the Evening" … it doesn't get sexier._

"What are you doing?" she asked, breathless.

He reached down and opened the door to her room, stepped through and slammed it behind him. "You may be able to fuck me … but I can't fuck you properly in there," he said, his voice low and gravelly, before throwing her on the bed.

Darcy landed on her side and noticed that Loki still stood by the bed, looking down … his cock far from being sated yet, all attention on her. The sight made everything inside of her tighten and burn again.

"On your knees," he ordered.

She smiled, moving slowly, feeling languid.

"I said, _kneel_."

Darcy looked up at him with a challenging expression on her face. A grin.

_Well, that was hot._

She promptly got on her knees.

Loki tilted his head, giving her a look of satisfaction. He then knelt on the bed as well, coming up behind her … and she could feel his hard cock brushing against her ass.

He kissed the back of her neck softly, and brought his arms around her in an embrace, one that said you were cherished, you were loved. Darcy leaned back into his chest and sighed.

But then he put a knee between her legs, spreading them … and drew his arms away, putting a hand on her shoulder … and she found herself being shoved towards the bed until she was on all fours.

She gasped at the surprise, but wasn't exactly mad at it.

_Holy shit, even hotter._

She could feel the head of his cock teasing her. "You want me to fuck you?" he asked, mimicking what she'd asked him earlier … needing consent.

There was no question. "Loki … yes, _fuck me_."

With no hesitation, he sheathed himself with one thrust, and at that precise intense angle, it elicited a scream from Darcy that might've been heard outside the house. Loki then held onto her hips and proceeded to hammer into her at a maddening pace, as she struggled to keep up at first. The repeated impact of his hips smacking into her backside, felt like there would definitely be marks left, but she didn't care in the least. It felt good, invigorating … it felt so very alive.

She could feel a jolt with each thrust, as he tried to reach deeper and deeper, to almost cervix-bumping levels … and to where there was a hint of sweet pain mingling with a constant rush of pleasure that had no ebb, had no wane. She braced herself with her forearms in order to ground herself and meet his thrusts … which only excited him more.

"Darcy … _FUCK_ ," he gasped.

As he neared the end, he lifted her up off her hands, bringing her flush against his chest, and embraced her again, as if he needed to feel her close as he came, in a warm rush that she could feel between her legs, along with the ultra-sensitive feeling that came with being fucked thoroughly.

The deep male sound he made, as he panted into her neck, as he bit into her flesh, filled her with intense happiness … that she could make him feel that way, give him such a release.

They both collapsed back onto the bed, boneless … the word 'satisfaction' being a gross understatement to describe the state of transcendence they both felt, as they tested each other's boundaries, and discovered they were not averse to a certain flavor and heat.

They began to fall asleep curled around each other, sated, forgetting dessert altogether, but certainly enjoying le petite mort. Darcy twirled a lock of his black hair around her finger and kissed the damp skin of his shoulder. He was a masterpiece. Her favorite drawing yet. It was definitely the most fun she'd ever had sketching a model … and was quite sure that she'd never think of figure drawing quite the same way again.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Loki's POV. 
> 
> Happy Valentine's Day, people! And Happy Mardi Gras :-D


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we hang out with Loki while he does stuff. Sorry, that's all I got ;-)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If MTDG taught me about plots and climaxes and all that, FtL is teaching me about story structure, flow, and points of view and it's kind of killing me right now. Having L&D go back and forth between chapters and seeing certain scenes through different points of view sounded like a good idea at the time, but it's been driving me a little bonkers. I know this update took awhile, sorry for that, I've just been staring at this chapter blankly for so long now and I'm excited about the next one, so I just have to put this damn thing up. You might want to look over Chp 18 before reading this ... as I tend to end chapters with a bang sometimes, pun horribly intended ;-) And I know I had things a bit heated when we left our dear OTP last, so ... you might not remember what happened before all that. Quick recap: Darcy visited Bucky in the hospital. Jane left to help Thor take care of his dad, as he was to be going home ... and Darcy sketched Loki and then they uh, had some sex.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

_**Narfi and the deal you need to sign, seriously this is getting ridiculous** _

_Loki,_

_It's as good as it's going to get, letting you help to write the script and having some creative control. Please for the love of all that is holy, sign the damn contract. We need to get on this before_ How to Train Your Dragon 3 _comes out.  
_

_Coulson_

_..._

_**Re: Narfi and the deal you need to sign, seriously this is getting ridiculous** _

_Soon, Coulson, I just want to make sure everything is as it should be. I want to be able to dedicate 100% to it, and I am not about to take it lightly. And there is no way in hell I will allow "Imagine Dragons" to write any song to go along with this project. That is ridiculous.  
_

...

After emailing back and forth with Coulson all morning, Loki arrived at the hospital to help Thor with their father. Dr. Odinson was to be going home that day, and he should have gone straight to the cardiac wing … but he found himself taking a detour to find Bruce. It had been awhile since Loki had seen his friend, as he'd been so very busy. He'd barely even had time to see Darcy … which he planned to remedy that evening, quite spectacularly.

As he walked down the corridor of Banner's wing, it was as if he could hear her voice. He stopped in his tracks.

_Am I hearing things?_

Loki looked over and saw that he stood before the soldier's room. The name written on the tag before the door said "James Barnes."

"Holy shit," he could hear someone saying. _Jane_.

He walked over to lean against the wall just outside the door, and took out his phone. He wanted to look as if he was actually doing something other than listening to the conversation happening inside.

"You're like Luke Skywalker!" he heard Darcy say.

_What the hell is she doing here?_

"What are you doing here?" said a voice that was much clearer. He looked up to see Bruce standing in front of him with a disapproving frown on his face.

"I was looking for you," Loki said quietly. "I didn't want to disturb their little gathering."

Bruce raised a brow after slightly ducking his head inside. "You're spying."

Loki shrugged. "I was merely waiting for you."

His friend gave a slightly sad smile. "You need to learn how to trust her."

He stuck out his chin and looked down, knowing that Bruce was right, but it still didn't actually help.

Banner then looked sympathetic. "She isn't doing anything wrong. They're all just friends." He then waved his hand, trying to shoo Loki away. "Now go before she sees you … aren't you supposed to be taking your father home today?"

"Thor has that covered."

"Well I'm sure they could use the support."

Loki gave a bitter laugh. "Support."

"Stop it … you know what I mean. If not emotional support, than physical ... helping Dr. Odinson get into the house and up the stairs. We can talk about this later." Bruce then walked into the hospital room, but Loki stayed put.

"Alright Bucky … it's time for social hour to end. We have a few more therapy sessions before tomorrow."

"I'll see you tomorrow when we pick you up … I've got to get back to the art building. Thank you, doctor," he heard Steve Rogers say.

Loki then hurriedly ducked into the next room for a second, until Rogers walked by and down the hall, before resuming his spot against the wall.

"Wait," Darcy said. "I have a gift for you."

He closed his eyes, his heart-rate beginning to rise. She had a _gift_ ... for Bucky, usually known as _Fucky_.

"The Real Magneto?"

"Yep. Just … if you see the real Erik Lehnsherr out and about, steer clear, because all he'd have to do is raise his hand and concentrate and you're toast."

Jane also then seemed to give him a present, which only made the situation seem slightly better. Apparently they had gifted the poor soldier and his new metal arm with magnets, and Loki would have found that funny, had he not felt like flames were licking up his neck.

"I have to go," he heard his brother's girlfriend say. "Dr. Odinson is being released from the hospital today, after some complications. I'm going to go help Thor."

Loki ducked into the dark room next door again and waited for Jane to leave. He unlocked the screen to his phone. Darcy was first in his message list, as they'd texted constantly since not being able to see much of each other.

" _Are you still in class?"_

He knew it was wrong to test her like this, but he couldn't help himself.

Almost immediately she responded. " _No … I'm at the hospital."_

He breathed a slight sigh of relief and saw that Bruce walked down the hall on his phone.

_What am I doing?_

Loki stepped back out.

"Darcy," Bucky said, almost too quietly for him to hear. "Do you think it's possible … do you think we could ever …"

His heart starting beating out of his chest as he restrained himself from going into the soldier's room and beating him senseless with his new arm, after tearing it out of its socket. He could feel the anger rising, and would believe it if there happened to be steam coming out of his ears. He gritted his teeth.

"Bucky. I'm … I'm dating someone."

"Oh. Do you …"

"Stop. No. He's someone that I really like."

"The writer."

"Yes. The writer … Loki. But I want you to understand … even if I was alone. Even if I was single … the answer would still be no. Not ever."

Loki bowed his head and nodded to himself, biting his lip. He pushed himself off the wall and walked back down the corridor to the cardiac wing. He never should have doubted her.

_But you know what they say of old habits._

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

After getting their father situated in his room, Jane left to go back to the hospital while Thor talked to the home-nurse who would be taking care of him.

"Do you need anything? A book? The remote? I've got to get back to work," Loki told his father, emotionless.

Dr. Odinson settled himself into a comfortable position on his bed, wincing. He leaned back into the pillows that helped him to sit up. "What I would like," he said with his commanding voice, though it was weaker than it usually was … "is for you to sit down for a moment."

Loki sighed but did as requested, sitting in the chair next to the bed. He stretched his long legs out in front of him and crossed his arms. "What is it."

His father stared at him for a few seconds before speaking. "I realize that you do not wish to be here, but I thank you for it all the same."

Loki gave a slight shrug.

"I would have thought you would have left by now, what with these new developments of yours."

Loki frowned. "How do you know about these developments?"

"Thor told me."

"I do not wish to talk about them until things are more etched in stone."

"A wise decision. But that still does not answer my question … why are you still here?"

"You want me to leave?"

His father shook his head. "Of course not. Always twisting my words."

Loki gave him a sardonic smile. "It's hard not to come to these conclusions sometimes, father."

"You have still not answered."

He rolled his eyes. "And what is it that you're trying to get out of me? Just say it."

Dr. Odinson blinked and tried another method. "I believe we should have a dinner soon, after I am feeling better. Thor will bring Jane … and you will bring this new girl of yours."

Loki shook his head. "Ah. You are wondering about Darcy."

"Yes. Darcy. Why have you never mentioned her?"

"I really wish Thor would keep his big mouth shut."

"I just want to meet the girl that has my son staying in this town, instead of galavanting off around the world, without a care."

"I assure you, father, I galavant with much care."

"You have also been getting along quite well with your brother … and even Coulson, you don't have him breaking his cool exterior, as is usual with you two."

Loki took a deep breath. "Things are different now. These wanderings around the world, which you seem to think so frivolous, have helped to mellow the former uneasiness inside of me that you used to find so distasteful."

"I see that."

"Do you?"

His father struggled to sit up a little more. "I would like to meet this girl."

Loki looked down and shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea yet."

"I'm already well acquainted with Jane Foster."

"So?"

"You are worried that I will … what, scare her away?"

He gave a slight laugh. "You haven't exactly been amiable to my girlfriends in the past."

His father looked slightly put-out. "What makes you think I'll not like her? She is a dear friend to Jane, is she not?"

_Of course._

"Ah, yes. You only assume she's worthy because of her closeness with Thor's girlfriend and not because she is mine."

Dr. Odinson frowned. "Not at all. And who are these girlfriends exactly, that I was so very awful to."

Loki shook his head. "Oh, there was my girlfriend in undergrad … Amora."

"That strumpet? She was an opportunist."

"My girlfriend while I was at Cambridge. Lorelai."

"I really have no idea how you had a conversation with that one, the girl was so daft."

Loki raised a brow. "Trust me. She knew exactly what she was doing at all times."

Dr. Odinson only tilted his head slightly, which was his version of an eye-roll.

"And there was Agyness."

"Please, Loki. Even your mother wondered what you were doing with that one. So many tattoos and holes in her face, I have no idea what you were thinking."

"What is so wrong with tattoos and piercings?"

His father ignored him. "And she only wanted to tie you down after you were published. You were right in getting rid of her. And please do not mention that Sig girl to me," he said the name as if it left a bad taste in his mouth.

Loki shrugged. "No … that wasn't one of my finer moments."

"Did you just agree with me?"

"Do not get used to it."

Dr. Odinson smiled, though he didn't look amused. "Why do you think I'll not like this new one?"

Loki didn't answer, but instead asked another question. "Were you ever so critical about Thor's girlfriends?"

"Thor never kept one around long enough for me to form an opinion of her. It seems that both my sons have done a bit of growing up."

Loki closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Darcy is very dear to me. I do not want to subject her to your scrutiny just yet."

"And what is it that you think I would find?"

Loki shrugged again. He was beginning to think that he could have a whole conversation with his father where all he did was shrug.

"Does she come from a good family?"

"I think our opinions of what makes a good family are very different."

"Loki."

He sighed heavily. "Her mother is an art dealer in Manhattan, though it seems as if she does business in Italy and Paris as well."

Dr. Odinson nodded. "And her father?"

"Passed away. He was a lawyer."

"Hm. That's too bad."

"Yes."

"Very well. But I would like to meet her by the holiday party. I wish her to join us. If she is still so very dear to you by then."

Loki stood up and walked toward the door. "It's too bad actually, I was thinking of taking her on a little trip that week … perhaps to Vail for some skiing, if there's any fresh powder."

"Loki."

He continued through his father's door and made his way to his room. To him, Darcy was perfect … but to his father, he would find _something_. Some little thing to fixate on and judge her not worthy.

Loki was not about to set Darcy up for that.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

He lay on his side as he watched her in the morning. Darcy was lying on her stomach, the sheet precariously close to revealing her naked ass. Loki ran his fingers softly up and down her back, noting how soft her skin was, memorizing every freckle, inventing his own constellations.

She turned her head and half-opened her eyes. "Mmmm, good morning. That feels good." Darcy closed her eyes again and smiled.

"You feel good."

"Last night was …"

"Yes. Last night was …"

Darcy rolled over onto her back and looked up at him. "Amazing."

Loki resumed his attentions on her pale yet glowing skin, running his fingers along the skin of her stomach. He loved this part … the part where her bare breasts were just a part of their experience in casual intimacy. Something, as her lover, only he got to see and enjoy … and he wasn't about to take that for granted. They were the most fantastic pair of tits he ever had the pleasure of viewing and burying his face in. He leaned over and kissed between them, and she lazily brought her hand up to brush hair out of his eyes.

He looked up. "Do you feel like you have the sketches you need?"

Darcy's stomach contracted as she laughed softly. "I think so … but I'm not sure I'll ever be able to fully concentrate if I ever needed more detail. You're too distracting."

"Hn. So sorry about that."

"Liar."

She sat up to take a drink out of the glass of water she always kept on her bedside table, and then scooted over to him. She ran a hand down his stomach, dipping under the sheet and finding the aroused state he was in.

"Hello there," she said, wrapping her fingers around him.

"It's morning," he said, closing his eyes.

"I can help you with this, if you like," she said, moving her hand gently up and down.

He lay back. "Hnnnn … please do. If you insist."

Darcy then climbed over him, teased briefly with her tongue, and then proceeded to give him the best morning in recent memory.

_I could get used to this._

After she had reduced him to a mere puddle, he felt the need to make her feel the same.

He sat up and nuzzled her neck, kissing her skin. "I want to make you come … over and over again."

She turned her head and looked out the window, noticing the grey dreary light barely shining through ... the water droplets on the glass. "Looks pretty shitty out there. Let's spend the day in bed. We can binge-watch something on TV … _naked_."

Loki smiled at her. "It seems as if that's all that can be done, quite honestly … we can't go outside after all … don't want to catch a cold."

He grabbed her waist, pulling her down and onto her back. It was his turn to climb over her … and he planned on taking his time. Afterward, as he had all day, his goal was to remedy her whole "woman on top" situation ... and was quite willing to spend the whole weekend in bed to make his mission a successful one. He was determined to find a solution, his own little sex science experiment.

_The things I do … for science._

But by the time it had gotten dark outside again, the rain had only gotten worse, pounding on the window, adding to the justification of such a lazy day … but he hadn't yet achieved his goal. They'd had a few encounters, where he'd tried different positions and different angles, but to no avail ... though he didn't exactly mind all the little trials in lovemaking, which is what is was definitely beginning to feel like, more and more. Lovemaking. And he always let her lead the way in the end, so she wouldn't suspect his secret game.

After hot chocolate was made, pizza was ordered, and a Netflix series had been watched, all with minimal clothing involved, it didn't seem to matter anymore, as it had been such a wonderful day of languid intimacy. They fell asleep well past midnight in a tangle of limbs, spent, sated, and perhaps a little sore, but certainly with a strange happiness that was even more comforting than hot chocolate, soft blankets, and the gentle rain tapping on the window.

 

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Jane let's something slip and Darcy decides to do what she damn well pleases. Also, Tony Stark ... still an ass.
> 
> Thanks for reading, you guys, and for sticking with me.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which things are set into motion by Jane's big mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heading towards the last act here. Thanks for reading this crazy story ;-) I know AUs are hard to swallow sometimes, but I've had a lot of fun with creating this little world.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

_**Coming!** _

_I'll be back soon for a pop-up ... and a holiday party. Exciting things await. Get my room ready._

_And in the meantime, here is a recipe for "liquid parmesan gnocchi"._

_Erik_

_..._

_**RE: Coming!** _

_Sweeeeeeet! But I can't make liquid parmesan gnocchi, Erik ... I don't keep things like Sodium Alginate and Calcium Lactate Gluconate chilling in my pantry._

_Darcy_

_..._

_**RE: RE: Coming!** _

_Really? Seriously, everyone should keep Sodium Alginate and Calcium Lactate Gluconate around for emergencies._

...

Loki and Darcy sat in the back of the coffee shop, armed with their laptops, trying to at least attempt to work.

She looked up from her screen momentarily to find him eyeing her.

"Stop."

"Stop what?" He said, with childlike innocence, which was complete and utter bullshit.

"Stop looking at me like that … or I'm going to want you to take me into the bathroom and finish the thing we started in there that one time."

Loki quickly lost the innocence act. He smiled slowly, looking devilish. "And would that be so bad?"

She grinned back. "No. But we can't leave our laptops unattended … and we can't go in there at the same time with all of our shit."

"We can wait until Thor and Jane get here. They can watch our things. Unknowingly, of course."

Darcy seemed to ponder for a second, tapping her finger to her lips, even though there was never any doubt as to what she would do. "Okay."

He looked down at his watch, now looking a bit impatient. "Now where could they be."

She looked in the direction of the entrance. "Jane sometimes gets stuck at the hospital," she said nonchalantly, before her eyes settled on a familiar corner table, and the girl who seemed to be boring a hole into Darcy's head with her eyes.

She frowned and turned back to her laptop. "That Sig girl is over there. She's creeping me out."

Loki didn't turn his head, keeping his eyes on his screen. "Yes, I know, she's been there for about a half hour now. Just ignore her."

"Gladly." She said, before risking another glance.

_Nope. Still boring holes. Bad idea._

"I don't get it," Darcy said. "I've never done anything to her. Why is she sending _me_ mind bullets?"

"She's the type of individual that refuses to take any responsibility for her actions. It must always be someone else's fault. I know this because I used to be such a person."

Darcy looked up at him. "I can't imagine that."

Loki smiled sadly. "Thank you, but it was once very true. Everything wrong in my life was either Thor's fault or my father's fault. Nothing was ever of my own making. Until they were, and I could no longer deny it."

"Hm. So what, I seduced you away from her? You hadn't even been in town for a long time."

He grinned. "Yes, you did seduce me, temptress. But no, you are right. Even if I had never met you, there would be no getting back with her. As I see it, she probably thinks that you stand in the way her ambition as well. It's not just me, it's the world that I'm in."

"The literary world."

"Exactly. Pay her no mind," Loki said, then he looked up from his e-mails. "Actually, speaking of the literary world … it looks like I'll have to go to L.A. for a few days … but only a few days. I should be back by Sunday."

Darcy gave him her biggest toothy smile. "Yeah? Is it for the thing?" She knew that he didn't like talking openly about deals until they were signed, practically in blood.

"Yes. The thing. I think I'll leave tomorrow, meet Coulson there. In and out. I don't want to make a big thing of it."

She reached over and grabbed his hand. "I'm so happy for you, Loki. You deserve it. I …" She hesitated.

_What was I about to say? I ..._

"I … um."

Loki looked at her expectantly as she tripped over her words.

"Brother! Darcy!"

They both looked up. Thor walked over and pulled out the chair next to Loki, while Jane pulled out the one next to her friend. "How's it going, you guys?" Darcy asked, strangely relieved by their arrival.

"Great! Sorry we're a bit late, we ran by the house real quick so I could check Dr. Odinson's vitals."

"How's he doing?" Darcy again felt a bit left out that she'd never met the man that everyone seemed so familiar with.

"Oh, he's fine," Thor said. "Eager to get out of bed and start walking around. He's not used to seeming so frail and helpless."

Loki didn't add anything to the conversation, instead he instant messaged Darcy.

" _When shall we take our turn in the unisex bathroom?"_

She pursed her lips to keep from smiling as she typed back. " _After they're settled and get their drinks."_

" _Perfect."_

"So are you guys going to that farm party on Sunday?" Jane asked.

Loki frowned. "Farm party."

Thor suddenly looked a bit uncomfortable, which was noticeable simply because he always looked so damn comfortable.

"Um, Natasha invited me last week, but I don't think I'm gonna go," Darcy said, looking down at her screen.

"Clint Barton's party?" Loki asked.

Darcy looked up and nodded.

"Don't decline for my sake … I'll be in California until Sunday afternoon," he said. His face went from looking slightly wicked, due to their planned tryst, to looking a bit melancholy … and she could see Thor and Jane exchanging glances.

"Hm. I dunno … I have a lot of work to catch up on," Darcy said, and the foursome fell into silence.

Since the awkwardness didn't seem to wane after Thor got up to order drinks, Jane asked another question to try and change the subject. "So. Dr. Odinson told me he wanted all of us to have dinner with him. When is everyone free?"

Loki's head shot up from his laptop.

" _What?_ " Darcy said.

Thor came back with coffees and saw that everyone was frowning at each other. "What are we talking about?"

"Dinner with your father … apparently," Darcy said, with her eyes on her boyfriend.

"Did father not mention this to you, Loki?" Thor asked. "He said he was going to. He wants to meet Darcy."

It was Loki's turn to look uncomfortable.

"What?" Darcy asked again.

Loki looked down. "I told him no," he said quietly. "I'll be going out of town for a few days, anyway."

"You never mentioned your dad wanting to meet me. Even after I asked about it."

"It's not a good idea."

Darcy frowned. "Why?"

Thor tried to intervene for his brother. "Loki is probably just afraid that father would be less than cordial … there was that one girlfriend of yours with the tattoo on her arm. It was supposed to say 'karma' in Sanskrit or Arabic or something along those lines, right? But it was spelled wrong." He looked over, smiling at Loki.

"It said 'tarma'."

"Right!" Thor laughed. "Tarma."

Darcy crossed her arms. "Are you afraid to bring me around because of my tattoos?"

"Of course not."

Thor continued his stroll down memory lane. "And then there was Lorelai. Father didn't take to her very well … she was a photography major, right Loki?"

He turned his head, his eyes fiery. "Do go on, Thor. Please, keep talking, this is all such a huge help."

"Wait," Jane said. "Didn't _you_ go out with someone named Lorelai?" she asked her boyfriend.

Thor looked into his coffee. "Um. Yes. Same person," he said quietly, as Loki kept staring daggers in his direction.

Their dad is nice, Darcy," Jane said. "I'm not exactly sure what these guys are talking about … he might be a bit stern, but he's always been very sweet to me. You shouldn't worry so much. He does like to ask questions though … he asked me all about med school … so he might ask you about, you know. Grad school. Stuff like that." She went about putting Splenda in her coffee.

Darcy watched as her friend stirred in the sweetener and it dissolved. She poured in a bit of cream from the tiny pot the coffee shop provided. Jane never had to be worried about such things. Jane was perfect. Any parent's dream. Beautiful, kind, brilliant … ambitious. A doctor. A future renown surgeon, probably every bit as accomplished as Dr. Bruce Banner. A serious catch. Thor, in fact, could very well be her trophy husband one day, not the other way around. And to top it off, she always managed to seem blissfully unaware of it all. She was never vain. Never full of herself. Jane was perfect.

But Darcy … she often felt pretty, but not stunning, like Jane. And after quite a bit of indecision, she was a painting major, getting another degree in "poor", as her father would tease. To someone like Dr. Odinson, she would probably come off as playing around, being frivolous, majoring in something akin to pipe dreams instead of something sensible and worthwhile. She looked down at the intricate inked vines wrapping around her wrist. It was all a part of a bigger tattoo. A bigger story … from when she used to draw angels as a little girl, when her dad would take her to the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park. There were so many things to draw there, but her favorite was always the angel who held lilies in one hand, and blessed the water in the fountain with the other. Darcy didn't like telling people the story when they asked … and she certainly couldn't imagine trying to defend herself or her choices to Loki's father. She hated that what she felt was so precious to her, other people viewed as something tacky and classless. She could feel tears stinging at her eyes and she tried her damndest to keep them from forming any further.

"I gotcha," Darcy said, her eyes focused on a little dusting of spilled Splenda on the table. "Jane is a doctor. I'm an artist. I get it."

"Darcy, no."

She looked up at Loki. "Do you feel like I would embarrass you?"

He shook his head. "Absolutely not. I do not care what that man thinks."

"But he would think there was something wrong with me. That's why you don't bring me around. I mean … is there something, wrong with me? I would never … "

"Darcy. Stop. There is not a thing wrong with you."

She frowned. "So then what. We're all one big family … me and Jane, you and Thor … except that I'm the one who gets tucked away out of site for fancy functions like dinner parties, because I have tattoos and I fool around with paint? Is that how this is going to be?"

"Darcy," Loki said heatedly. "You forget, I am most certainly the one who gets tucked away out of sight, into the shadows … I am the family heroin addict. And I also have a tattoo, and I fool around with a pen instead of paint, but I am an artist all the same, just like you."

She shook her head. "It's different," she said, her voice wavering the more she went on. "Your tattoo is never visible and you're a man. Men get a pass at things that the world views as distasteful if a woman does it. You also don't fool around with a pen, you were on the New York Times best-sellers list for a million weeks. And as a heroin addict, having a classless tattooed artist girlfriend at your side wouldn't help your image as someone who's been reformed. Someone who has seen the light."

"You are being ridiculous, Darcy. And if you would let me help you, _you_ could be on the best-sellers list for a million weeks, or however you put it."

She stared at him for a few seconds before answering, the table suspended in tension. "That invisible cookbook again," she said. "And would publishing the damn thing make me more palatable, Loki?"

A tear escaped down her cheek.

_Goddamn it._

Jane grabbed hold of her hand. "Darcy. You are perfect and wonderful, don't cry. I'm so sorry I mentioned anything. I have a big mouth."

Thor just sat with his elbows on the table, his hands hiding the lower-half of his face. He looked like he wanted to disappear. Well … so did Darcy.

"No. It's fine," she said. "If you wouldn't have said anything, I might have never known these things." Darcy raised an eyebrow at Loki. "Is there anything else you're not telling me?"

"Of course not. And you are taking this entirely the wrong way. I only wish to protect you. I never wanted you to feel like this."

Darcy knew he wasn't trying to be shady, she knew that what he said was true. He was only trying to protect her. Still … it didn't make it hurt any less.

"Then you should have just told me from the beginning when I asked, explained all this to me then. I would have respected your decision. Now I just feel … weird, because you felt like you needed to not tell me everything … and that reminds me, actually," Darcy said, as she grabbed her bag from under her chair. She took out a copy of Loki's book.

"Here." She set it on the table. "This was in Bucky's room … I meant to give it back to him, but forgot and since then, had absolutely no plans to see him and return it. Perhaps you could. It seems like of the two of us, you're the one who has had secret meetings with him."

Loki looked at the book as if it were an alien object from outer space. "That was absolutely nothing. I was visiting Banner that day … not Bucky Barnes."

"Then how did he end up with your book and an inscription?"

Loki blinked for a few seconds, mulling over what to say. "He said he was … a fan."

Darcy stood up to leave and started to gather all her things.

"Where are you going?" Loki asked, looking panicked.

"I need to go. I need to cool down. And I have a lot of work that I've been neglecting." She picked up her black hooded sweater from off her chair and pulled it on, covering all of her tattoos and making her feel buried and protected.

She put her messenger bag over her shoulder and walked out of the coffee shop. Loki followed behind her, catching up just outside the door. He grabbed her by the hand and turned her around to look at him.

"I don't want to end things here, Darcy," he said, pleading with his eyes. "I need to know that we're okay … before I go out of town. I don't want to go to L.A. with you upset with me."

"I … we're fine." She closed her eyes and put her forehead on his chest. He then wrapped his arms around her with a sigh.

"I do need to go home and work though."

"Alright."

Darcy stood up straight, lifting her head from his chest. "Just … if I blatantly ask something, I wish you would be honest with me about things like that up front … it would avoid … all of this," she gestured towards the coffee shop. "It … hurt my feelings." It sounded lame to her as she said it, but that's how she felt.

He took a deep breath. "I am sorry."

"I know."

Darcy turned around and walked up the hill to her house, not looking back. As soon as she let herself in, she dropped her things and walked up the stairs to her room. She pulled back the covers from her bed and lay down, burrowing in the comfort they provided. After a good cry, she was eventually able to fall asleep.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Over the next few days, Darcy threw herself into her work. While Loki was in California, he texted her constantly, but she only responded every once in awhile, as things were still strained between them. As she painted, or worked on a recipe, her mind would go back and forth. Perhaps she and Loki were moving too fast, and so it was unreasonable for her to get upset about him not wanting her to meet his father. But then again, Loki had met her mother and seemed very happy about it. Darcy had even given him an out, saying that he didn't have to stay and have dinner with her … but he had stayed.

Erik would only tell her that she was looking for reasons to be upset, as he had before, when she first found Loki's book in Bucky's room. He would say that she was looking for a reason not to hand over her heart … so as to not feel it get thoroughly stomped on again. Yep. Darcy knew exactly what Erik would say … which was why she hadn't talked to him.

She felt weird and sad, walking around like she was under water. By the time Sunday rolled around, Darcy had all her work done, but still wasn't anywhere near feeling good about the way things were, and she knew that she was being a bit irrational about it. She felt as if it was a pathetic excuse, but because of Bucky, she just didn't trust many men. Plain and simple. She just didn't. How does one completely trust Loki … someone who knew how to use wit and words to his advantage. He knew how to speak in half-truths. He knew how to spin. He was a former heroin addict.

_But wasn't he also completely honest with you about it all?_

Darcy stared up at her ceiling while she lay in her bed, listening to music. After a few hours of brooding, Jane came in and sat down next to her, trying to bounce her around. "Get up Darcy … this is bad."

"It's not that bad."

"You're listening to Bon Iver, Darcy … that's "feeling sorry for yourself" music."

"No it's not, it's 'pondering the frailty of the human condition and our mortality' music."

"Well, whatever … you're getting up."

"Am I?"

"Yes! Clint's party is today … I got out of work early so we can go."

Darcy threw an arm over her eyes. "I don't want to go to that."

Jane pulled her arm back down. "Darcy. Please just stop. I always end up talking you into these things anyway, so just accept it. And don't worry about Loki … he even told you not to stay away on his account."

"Yeah, but I know it would still bother him."

Jane frowned. "So? You do what you want, girl. Think about how many laughs that could be had today."

Darcy sat up, tired of being sad. "You know what? You're right. I do what I want. I do what I damn well please."

Her friend's face lit up. "See? I told you. You should have just said yes at the beginning. Now let's go. I'll drive."

Clint's farm ended up being huge and cozy. It was nestled in a valley on several acres way out past town. The house was huge, something you'd think someone's grandparents lived in, with a wrap-around porch and rocking chairs. As Darcy and Jane rolled up, they saw the party was already in full-swing in the backyard. There was a huge grill, a bar, and several tables with lawn chairs … there were also several kegs.

_My kinda party._

Darcy smiled as she walked up to greet everyone, and she noticed they all had drinks in their hands. Perhaps this was just what she needed. A few drinks with new friends … and old ones. She noticed Steve further out, apparently chopping wood for the bonfire later.

"You put him to work, huh?" she said, nodding towards Steve, as she greeted Clint and Natasha.

"Hey, he offered," Clint said. "He told Tony that he was taking too damn long."

"I'm so glad you guys could make it," Natasha said, as she gave the girls a hug.

"There you are!" Thor yelled rather loudly, spotting them. He came over, red solo cup full of beer in one hand. It seemed as if everyone had been drinking for awhile. Darcy needed to catch up.

"Loki should be getting back into town soon," he said, looking at his watch. "Have you and my brother made up?" Thor asked, already well on his way to being drunk, because she wanted to believe that he'd never bring up such a thing in front of everyone while sober.

Darcy laughed it off. "I'm going to have to do a keg stand to catch up with you, dude. And yeah, me and Loki are fine."

Clint chuckled. "I have some guys I want you to meet, Darcy."

She frowned. "Why?"

"In case things don't work out with your boy."

Natasha chastised him for her. "That's not cool. Stop it."

"Well, you know … just in case."

Darcy smiled, trying to stay cheery. "Um. No thanks dude, but I would like to be introduced to some beer!"

After she had her own red solo cup filled with Miller Lite, she walked over to where Steve was toiling away, now shirtless. "Why are you over here?"

He stopped chopping and stood up straight, wiping sweat out of his eyes.

_Da-yum he is cut. His eyes are up there, Darcy. His eyes are up there._

"Hey there. It's really good to see you." He gestured towards the men standing around the grill. "They're already getting obnoxious and it's not even dark yet. I had to step aside for a second."

"Are you here by yourself?" she asked.

"I am now. I normally enjoy hanging out with them … and this morning was a lot of fun. I found out why they call Clint "Hawkeye". We went out into the field for a little target practice. Bucky was with us for a little while, getting used to firing with his new arm, but he went home. I think it upset him that he's not the marksman he used to be … but he'll get there. Sharon is cramming for a mid-term. I stayed because I heard you guys were coming … even though I was seriously thinking of leaving. They've been drinking since about 10 am."

"Damn. That's some undergrad shit."

"I know. Apparently this is an annual thing, so it's just what they do."

Darcy nodded, sipping her beer. "There seems to be a lot of that kind of stuff around here … traditions and clicks."

"Yep."

"We can hang out together, then. Laugh about Tony Stark's facial hair."

Steve grinned. "That should be pretty easy."

By the time it got dark and the bonfire had been lit, Darcy and Jane had caught up, but Steve stayed relatively sober. Beer chugging contests were had, shots were knocked back, burgers were grilled, and Clint kept introducing Darcy to various dudes, mainly football people. Not her type at all. And she was getting more and more offended by it. The whole blaming it on the alcohol thing, that she was trying to use for the justification of it all, wasn't cutting it.

So then she tried to stay polite by chugging more beer whenever Clint did the thing, but as the night went on, it just made her drunker and drunker. And angrier.

Anger was briefly forgotten, however, when Jane found a stash of chocolate and insisted on making s'mores. Chocolate solved most of the world's problems, after all. As the girls were struggling to roast marshmallows, Tony Stark decided that they weren't having enough fun.

"Who wants to make this interesting?" he said, from his lawn chair.

No one answered for awhile.

"Come on."

"How interesting?" Darcy asked, taking the bait.

"Rap battle. And ye who loses shall have to jump in the lake."

Everyone laughed it off at first. "It's too cold for that," Jane said.

"Chicken?" Tony asked, like a twelve year old.

Darcy stood straight. "Hey! She's not chicken," she said, defending her friend's honor, like a kid on a playground.

"Hm. I seem to be looking at someone who is of the avian variety."

Jane walked up to Tony and crossed her arms. No one called her chicken while drunk. "Fine. Name a song. We'll do it in teams. I name Darcy … and you better pick well, no one knows rap songs like Darcy."

"Oooo, I'm scared. Alright. Who wants to be on my team?" Tony asked, looking around.

No one answered.

"Crickets," Darcy laughed.

"I'm hurt."

"I'll do it," Thor said, happily. "I know my rap songs."

Tony looked a bit nervous about having Thor as a partner, but mustered on. In the end, it was decided that a third party should pick the song, so Clint came up with "Baby Got Back", which everyone agreed on. And since it was a game that they pretty much made up on the spot, it was decided that they'd each take turns rapping lines, until Clint told them to switch. The first team to make three mistakes had to jump in the lake.

Before they started, Steve intervened. "Alright Darcy, the last time I witnessed you partake in a contest like this, your phone ended up in the East River. Now hand it over."

"You know me too well," she said, as she reached into her back pocket and handed it over, vaguely registering that there were like, a hundred missed messages on her screen, though she was probably exaggerating.

Steve made Jane fork over hers as well. "Thanks, mom," she said, with a sweet smile.

Darcy turned and whispered to Jane. "We got this, we've known the words since elementary school."

It was decided that Darcy would go first: " _I like big butts and I cannot lie, you other brothers can't deny …"_

Tony: " _That when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist and a round thing in your face, you get sprung …"_

Jane: " _Wanna pull up tough cause you notice that butt was stuffed deep in the jeans she's wearing, I'm hooked and I can't stop staring …"_

Thor: " _Oh baby, I wanna get with you and take your picture, my homeboys tried to warn me but that butt you got makes me so horny …"_

Everyone was hunched over in laughter as Thor attempted to rap. They went around again and again until both teams were at two mistakes … and it was down to one more slip-up.

When it came to Jane's turn, she looked as if she had it in the bag. She took a drink and rapped her next lines, " _This dude named Michael used to ride motorcycles dick bigger than a tower, I ain't talking about Eiffel's real country ass dude, let me play with his rifle pussy put his ass to sleep, now he calling me NyQuil_."

Both Tony and Thor jumped up and cheered while Jane looked confused.

"What?" She asked.

Darcy shook her head. Bless her little drunken heart. "They were the right lyrics … just to the wrong song, babe. That's Nicki Minaj's 'Anaconda' cover."

Her friend looked heartbroken. "Oh."

Darcy shrugged. "A bet's a bet. Let's go."

When they got to the lake, Darcy stood on the edge of the dock looking down. It looked cold.

"It's a good thing I have a beer-coat on," she said, as she took off her shirt.

Jane followed suit. "Whoa whoa, what are you doing?" Thor asked. "We didn't mean for you to skinny dip."

"Yo, Thor! Shhh, be quiet! That information is not necessary!" Tony said.

They both stripped down to their bras and underwear. "Just pretend we're wearing bikinis," Jane said. "We don't want to get our clothes wet."

Both Jane and Darcy ran down the dock holding hands and then jumped in, colliding with freezing cold water in a jolt that could have woken someone from a coma. It would have felt refreshing if it wasn't so damn cold.

They came back up to the surface reeling from what felt like being encased in ice. Everyone was standing on the dock and clapping. "Hell, I didn't think they'd actually do it," Tony said.

Jane and Darcy swam back to the dock and Steve and Thor helped them out. As soon as they hit the chilly autumn air, their teeth started chattering uncontrollably … and putting their clothes back on wasn't much of a help, since they didn't dry off first, making the fabric wet anyway.

They all went back to the bonfire and the girls stood in front of it, warming up. "I have some clothes you can change into if you want," Natasha offered. "You don't need be miserable in those wet clothes,"

"Oh, thank you," Jane said, shivering.

"I'm good for now, thanks," Darcy said, not wanting to move from the warmth just yet. She watched Jane and Natasha disappear into the house.

"Hey Darcy!" Clint yelled from his lawn chair. "I have one more guy I want you to meet. Come over here."

"No thanks, Clint! I'm taken and you know it."

"Yes, and that's exactly why … you can do better!"

"Please stop."

"Seriously, though. You can do so much better!"

Darcy knew he was wasted, hell, everyone was wasted … well, except Steve, but details. She knew it was the alcohol talking, but it was still getting on her nerves, and now she was pretty wasted too, and cold, and wet … and maybe getting a little cranky.

"Shut it, Clint!" Darcy yelled, trying to keep her voice light.

"You need someone who knows how to have fun, Darcy … not some whiny-ass emo grump."

"Hey!"

Thor stood up, obviously perturbed. "Take care how you speak … that's my brother."

"How many times did you have to drag him out of some crack den?"

Thor shrugged. "He's adopted."

People actually laughed.

_People. Actually. Laughed._

Darcy frowned and sat down, all of a sudden feeling very sick. There had been something missing all night. Sure, she'd had fun, but it was almost as if she was always looking over her shoulder, expecting someone else to be there, so she could share some little thing or another. Something funny. Something interesting. Something the two of them could laugh at because they already knew each other so well.

She missed Loki. She'd missed him every second that he was gone. Darcy realized that she wasn't just sad about their little tiff … she was also sad because he was gone.

_I miss him._

Steve walked over and knelt beside her. "You okay? I'll take you guys home as soon as Jane gets back."

Darcy nodded and looked up at him. "Thanks, Steve."

"Hey, no problem." He winked at her.

"You guys look like a cute couple, too!" Clint yelled over to them. "And he doesn't even drink that much, Darcy … you'll never have to worry about him depleting your bank account for heroin."

Darcy felt a switch go off inside of her. One minute she was laid-back art student-Darcy, and the next minute she was Italian from Brooklyn-Darcy.

She stood up with fire in her eyes, all directed at Clint.

"Okay, you can stop right there! You might not have a very good opinion of him, but I _love_ that man. Don't talk shit about him in front of me. In fact, how 'bout you just don't talk shit about him EVER … he is MY MAN, and I will _fuck you up_."

Clint's jaw dropped.

Everyone sitting around the fire in their lawn chairs became silent, watching with looks of shock.

Thor stood back up. "Darcy … it's okay. Everyone's just a little three sheets to the wind. Or is it four sheets?" he said laughing, trying to make a joke.

Darcy wasn't having it. "You know what? Fuck you, Thor. I never heard you defend your brother, unless that weak-sauce ' _take care how you speak_ ' bullshit was some kind of lame attempt at sticking up for him. Right before you _caved_. By revealing he was adopted ... something he seems to be pretty damn sensitive about, mind you … even though you were raised by the same people, in the same environment, and you call him ' _brother_ ' more often than you call him _his own name!_ "

Thor seemed to be stunned silent, probably unused to a woman telling him to go fuck himself, instead of fawning all over him.

Clint slowly rose from his chair and raised his arms, as if he was trying to deal with a rabid animal. "Maybe you don't know the whole story, Darcy. You don't understand what happened at this party a few years ago."

"And that's where you're wrong." She rolled her neck and pointed at him. "I'm sure that I don't know every detail, as I obviously didn't live here at the time, but I do know that you downed a bottle of pills he gave you, believing them to be Advil. Pills that were probably neither the shape or color of Advil. And you ended up in the hospital and walked out of there holding onto a grudge that has you looking constipated all the damn time. And I have to say that if the same kind of shit that went on here _today_ ," she said, pointing towards the kegs … "was going on _then_ … the fact you couldn't _see_ you were taking something that _clearly_ wasn't Advil, _Hawkeye_ , doesn't fucking surprise me. Loki was fucked up, yes, and he never should have been carrying that shit on him. _He's_ the one that brought it here, and he says that it was all his fault … but I think you could stand a little time in front of the mirror yourself."

Clint, looking glassy-eyed and like he was going to topple over, opened up his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Darcy then addressed the remaining party attendees. "And I'd appreciate it if you all would stop trying to set me up with people, it ain't happening!"

Tony, who was standing in front of the bar making himself another drink, decided to add his two-cents. "Well, I don't think that's quite fair. You shouldn't discount our very famous patient ... Anakin now has a vibrator feature on his digitus medius …"

" _OH, THAT'S IT,_ " Darcy yelled, absolutely over everyone's shit. She darted over to the bar and lunged in Tony's direction.

Steve caught her by the waist mid-air. "Let me at him, Steve! Asshole with your stupid fucking BACKSTREET BOY GOATEE!

Tony looked genuinely taken aback.

"Sorry guys," Steve said, sweet as pie. "You'll never take the Brooklyn out of the girl."

"Backstreet's back, bitch! I CAN TAKE HIM!"

"I believe you."

"Let go of me!" Darcy wiggled in his grasp. It was almost embarrassing how it seemed to take exactly no effort whatsoever for Steve to hold onto her.

"Not a chance, doll." He wrapped his arms around her tighter and whispered in her ear. "Easy does it, Darce. This party just went south. You just stunned everyone into next week, and I think you might have Tony questioning the meaning of the universe with that Backstreet Boy comment. Everyone is way too drunk … and I'm going to drive you home."

Darcy stopped struggling and went limp in his arms, feeling very dizzy all of a sudden. "Uh-huh."

Jane came up and took Steve by the hand. "I'm coming with you."

Natasha walked over and surveyed the land. "What the hell happened?"

" _Everybody … yeeeaah … rock your body … yeaaaah_ …" Darcy mumbled into Steve's shoulder as she allowed herself to be carried to his car.

"I'm just going to take these girls home," Steve said.

Thor protested. "Jane! I can take you home."

Jane didn't seem to want any part of it. "No, it's okay! I'll talk to you tomorrow!" she yelled back at him, as they walked to the drive and Steve's car.

He finally let Darcy down and parked her in the back seat, where she promptly lay back, taking up the whole thing. "Ughhhh … they're all gonna hate me," she groaned.

Jane and Steve got in up front. "I don't think anyone is going to remember much past sundown, Darcy," he said.

"Hmmpf," she said, while things were starting to get blurry.

"Why didn't you stay with Thor?" Steve asked Jane.

"I came back down before Natasha … I heard everything," Jane said, slurring some of her words. "I almost went Brooklyn too, but I think Darcy had it covered. I'll talk to Thor tomorrow when we're not both drunk."

"You're acting pretty rational for a drunk person," Steve observed.

"That's cause she's perfect," Darcy managed to say.

Jane looked back at her. "Nooo. It's because Thor was his own taco-blocko tonight."

Darcy giggled. "True."

"He was getting on my nerves."

The world started to spin around, which Darcy noticed was entirely in her head, so she closed her eyes. She had a bit of time to nod off before they got back to the house, as Clint lived way out in the boonies.

At one point, she thought she heard Steve make a phone call.

"Hey, this is Steve. Don't panic … I just took the girl's phones from them so they wouldn't end up at the bottom of the lake … yep, Tony Stark. Listen, can you meet me at their house? I have to get home, and I'd rather someone watch over the girls, especially Darcy … she hit it hard tonight … they were teasing her … yeah … no, don't call Thor … let Jane decide what she wants to do about that … I'll let Jane tell you … thank you. Much appreciated. Bye."

The next thing Darcy remembered was hearing a car door open, and big warm hands gently urging her to sit up. The warmth felt so good.

"Why is she all wet? She's shivering."

That voice. She was supposed to be excited to hear that voice … but she couldn't exactly form words at that point.

"We lost a bet," Jane said. "It was Nicki Minaj's fault," she said, giggling. "We had to jump in the lake."

"You're not wet."

"Natasha's clothes. Darcy was too busy laying the smackdown to change."

"Pardon?"

Darcy could feel herself being carried inside as Steve put his hand on her forehead.

"Bye Darcy, I'll talk to you soon … if you remember this. You should get her out of those clothes … that water was freezing, they could have developed hypothermia if they were in there any longer. I wish I wouldn't have let them do it."

Darcy tried to put her arms around the neck that was carrying her, but could only barely manage. Things got much better when she was all of a sudden on her bed, and then things felt even more better when her wet clothes were peeled off of her.

"Here. Put this on her," she could hear someone say. Sounded like Jane. And then sweet warmth began to come back to her. She lay on her side and brought her knees to her chest, trying to get warmer. Covers were pulled over her.

"She was ice cold. Are you okay?"

"Meh."

"What happened?"

"Hm. I'm not sure anyone will remember."

"What do you remember?"

"She told Clint that she would fuck him up. And she told Thor to fuck off. And she tried to beat up Tony Stark."

"Whatever for."

"You."

"Me."

"Yeah, she was like all Brooklyn 'n shit, like, that's the man I love you're talkin' about, don't ever talk about my man like that again because I will _fuck you up!_ "

"What?"

"Hm. I have a big mouth … that's like three times this week. I'm going to stop talking now … _bye_."

At some point she felt the warmth of his body from behind and he wrapped his arm tight around her. Even better. Even warmer.

Sweet warmth.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Nurse Loki
> 
> Songs mentioned were "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix A Lot and "Anaconda" by Nicki Minaj. Nicki's song samples "Baby Got Back".


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we meet Nurse Loki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a bitch and a dirty whore, and all y'all Tumblr pals (special thanks to Leftylain), I'm sorry you had to hear me complain about it ... but sometimes Loki just isn't easy for me to write.
> 
> Anyway. This is a long one! I hope you enjoy. I did a lot of bellyaching, but I'm happy with how it turned out.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

" _Take care in befriending humans," his mother would say. "Their years on this Earth are short, and so are their memories. She will grow and forget you. They rarely let themselves believe in magic for long."_

" _Pay humans no attention," his father would say. "They are beneath you. Pitiful creatures, they destroy that which they do not understand … which is everything."_

_Both of Narfi's parents wanted him to steer clear of the warm-blooded, but while his father's reasons were simply because of prejudice, and the "what for" behind his commands was the vague answer of "because I said so," … his mother's reasons were always different._

" _Because I do not wish you to be hurt," she would say._

…

It had been quite awhile since Loki had revisited his first books … he had to practically reread them on the plane to L.A., in order to remember everything. And just like a popular song from when you were younger, can for a few seconds, transport you back in time … so can stories that you have written. So can books that you once loved.

Narfi was always meant to be bittersweet. The ending wasn't completely happy, but "happyish". Life was never black and white. Life was always "ish." This is what Loki had discovered when he was about sixteen … everything was just various degrees of "ish." He'd been afraid of looking back on himself and seeing how naive that kind of thinking was … but instead realized that perhaps he was actually much more wise at that age. He hadn't yet grown so cynical and jaded. While love hadn't exactly worked out for him then, he still believed in it. Fifteen or so years down the line … he couldn't quite say that was true anymore, until very recently anyhow.

At the time when the books came out, having written under a nom de plume, it meant that he never needed to worry about answering the tough questions. There were no public appearances, no being put on the spot. No real interviews about his stories. But having them republished with his real name meant new questions, and he hardly knew the answers to them anymore. Either that, or they were horrifyingly embarrassing. He could hear the quizzing in his head.

" _Who was the inspiration for Narfi's human friend?"_

" _Oh, that would be a girl I was in love with in high school."_

" _Why did she grow up and forget about Narfi in the end?"_

" _First love rarely works out. In fact, she never loved me at all … she was in love with my brother."_

Loki needed to figure out some better answers to these questions.

And then there were the other themes. The books resonated with a certain demographic for a reason. Much like books such as _Harry Potter_ spoke to kids who always wanted to believe they were secretly a "chosen one", the Narfi books spoke to kids who felt like a bit of an outsider. Kids who loved to do a good deal of reading. They were also big in the LGBT community for reasons that Loki was unprepared to talk about as a teenager.

Darcy had told him, back when he first talked to her about the possibility of a movie deal, that he needed to keep creative control, and he intended to. She also said that Narfi needed to stay the same at his core. He was a dragon that could change colors like a chameleon, an ability usually attributed only to females, as it was their means of defense against the world, rather than the masculine brute strength of male dragons. By the end, Narfi's refusal to hide his abilities resulted in other boy dragons recognizing their chameleon-like natures, as well as the girls owning their powers and breathing fire. It led to making new friends. Dragons. And it led to letting humans go.

For Loki, he wrote it that way simply because he was tired of always being expected to play football and love it. To enjoy being punched in the face. Knocked to the ground. To be excited about shooting clay pigeons with his brother and father, as if there was any point to it. Loki had always enjoyed more solitary sports, like track and swimming … and somehow they just were not as crowd-pleasing. He wrote Narfi because he would always rather watch _Lawrence of Arabia_ with his mother instead of _Friday the 13th_ with Thor. It was these preferences that set him up for ridicule, which he'd always seen as horribly unfair. He combated these feelings with writing … ever since he could remember. He'd turned these adolescent growing pains, growing tortures, really … into a story. A fairytale.

And so now it was all done. A deal was inked, and Loki set foot back in Asgardia with a need to see about a girl. He smiled to himself when he realized that only a few months prior, just as he'd stepped off the plane in this town, Thor had wanted him to see about the same girl … but Loki hadn't wanted any part of it. Now he was desperate to find her.

After settling back in and unpacking the few things he'd brought to L.A. with him, he noticed that Darcy wasn't returning any of his texts. He knew things were still a bit strained, their messaging not nearly as easygoing and frequent as it normally was, but she hadn't ever straight-up ignored him for several hours. After remembering that it was of course Sunday, the day of Clint Barton's party, and realization hit him that she must have attended … all manner of unpleasantries began to run through his head, and he began wearing a pathway into the carpet from pacing about his room.

They could have been telling her anything … any of the horrible stories about him that were all painfully and sadly true. But Thor would also be there of course, and he would watch out for her. He would make sure there was proper context given to any potentially damaging tales. Or would he? And who knew what state Thor would even be in. Those types of parties tended to go on all day and all night, and had a habit of getting out of hand. Though if the past few weeks should have taught him anything, it was that he should absolutely trust Darcy … but he didn't trust other people. He almost had half a mind to call his brother to make sure everything was okay, but he didn't want to seem too creepy. Was that creepy? He wasn't sure at this point. It was hard to differentiate between what was creepiness due to trust issues and what was genuine concern.

When it was past 10 o'clock and he still hadn't heard from anyone, he figured that genuine concern was probably winning out, so he picked up his phone to call Thor. As he went about bringing up the number, Darcy miraculously called.

_Thank the gods._

He pressed the answer button on the first ring. "Darcy?"

"Hey, this is Steve," said the voice on the other end.

_Why is Steve Rogers making calls from her phone?_

"What's the matter?"

_Obviously something is the matter._

"Don't panic," he said, in a way that people do right before they tell you very bad news. "I just took the girl's phones from them so they wouldn't end up at the bottom of the lake."

_Ah._

"Bottom of the lake? Let me guess, some kind of drunken bet?" Loki remembered those … and most of the wagers were from the imagination of none other than …

"Yep. Tony Stark," Steve said. "Listen, can you meet me at their house? I have to get home, and I'd rather someone watch over the girls, especially Darcy."

"What's happened to Darcy?"

"She hit it hard tonight," he said, trying to be subtle and not outright saying she was "wasted" or "shit-faced".

Was Darcy just going with the flow of the party? Was she trying to get back at him in some way? Was she drowning her sorrows …

"Was something wrong?" Loki asked, also going for subtlety.

"They were teasing her."

He nodded to himself and realized that he'd stopped pacing. "Ah. About … me."

"Yeah," Steve said, hesitating in answering.

Loki sighed into the phone, a million things running through his head about what they could have been teasing her about. "Of course, I'll come and meet you," he said. "Shall I call Thor? Shouldn't he be watching over Jane?"

"No, don't call Thor," Steve said. "Let Jane decide what she wants to do about that."

_That certainly sounds … odd._

"Did something happen?"

"I'll let Jane tell you."

"Very well. I'll be on my way. Thanks for calling me," Loki said.

 _And for giving SO much information to go off …_ but he stopped himself from saying that. Steve had obviously been watching out for Darcy, and Jane apparently, when Thor should have been the one stepping up to that plate.

"Thank you," Steve said, genuinely. "Much appreciated. Bye." Loki stared at the phone for a moment … the lad was certainly irritating in a way, because no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't actually dislike him. And usually, he would actively dislike such a person. He seemed maddeningly perfect ... and best friend of Darcy's ex, who even had designs on getting the two back together … though that was before he knew of Loki and Darcy's budding relationship. Since finding out, Steve was nothing but friendly towards him.

He packed a few things, thinking about what Darcy and Jane would probably need in the morning, and drove over to the girl's house. He was only sitting on the steps of their front porch for a minute or so, before Steve drove up. He and Jane got out of the car, though she was a bit wobbly on her feet.

Loki started to walk to the driveway, wondering why there was no Darcy, when Steve opened the back door. He looked inside to see Darcy curled up and laying on the seat, her teeth chattering. He put his hands on her shoulders and noticed her clothes were all wet, and he tried to get her to sit up, which wasn't working very well. He got her to cooperate somewhat, and was able to pick her up and carry her towards the porch.

"Why is she all wet? She's shivering."

"We lost a bet," Jane said, giggling, though Loki found none of it funny. "It was Nicki Minaj's fault. We had to jump in the lake."

"You're not wet."

"Natasha's clothes. Darcy was too busy laying the smackdown to change."

"Pardon?"

Before Loki walked up the steps to the porch, Steve laid the back of his hand on Darcy's forehead, as if he was checking for a fever. "Bye Darcy," he said to her. "I'll talk to you soon … if you remember this." He then looked up, concerned. "You should get her out of those clothes … that water was freezing, they could have developed hypothermia if they were in there any longer. I wish I wouldn't have let them do it."

Loki could tell that Steve felt bad about the situation. He imagined that once the girls had made up their minds to do something, there wasn't much anyone could do to talk them out of it, especially if they had consumed the amounts of alcohol one typically consumes at an all-day Clint Barton affair … and it seemed as if Darcy had had her fair share. She raised her arms to try and wrap them around Loki's neck, but didn't make it very far before consciousness left her completely.

"Thank you Steve, truly … for watching out for them," Loki said, grateful.

Steve grinned. "Hey, it's no problem. I won't tell you some of the things they helped me out of back in Brooklyn … it's what friends are for."

Loki nodded. "I think you New York lot know a thing or two about friendship that the Asgardians never learned."

Steve laughed. "Perhaps. But it's never too late," he said, before walking back to his car.

He turned with Darcy in his arms to find Jane fiddling with the lock on the front door. "I can't carry her _and_ unlock the door," Loki said. "Dear gods, you can't even get it in the hole."

Jane all of a sudden looked up, as if she just realized there was someone behind her. "THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!" She doubled over with giggles for several moments while he stood back rolling his eyes, and really needing to get Darcy inside and out of her wet clothes.

"Jane, darling, pull yourself together," he said, trying his best to be nice about it.

She then shook herself out, made a conscious effort to be serious, and miraculously opened the door. Loki rushed Darcy up the stairs to her room. He placed her on the bed and then began to peel off her clothes. He didn't ask why the girls didn't seem to be wearing any shoes or where they might be. When he started to unclasp Darcy's bra, Jane began to vehemently protest.

"Oh, no no no," she said, standing in front of him and slapping his hands away. "Turn around! This is my job. I'm a doctor. I'm used to body parts."

Loki frowned but stepped back. "Jane, you do realize that I am quite familiar with Darcy's body parts?"

She took Darcy's bra off, a job that he felt pretty adamant about being only his, if not Darcy's. She then picked up a towel from on top of the hamper and made sure she was dry, before stepping over to the chest of drawers and selecting a new pair of boy shorts. "Yes, I realize that as her boyfriend, you see her," Jane said. "But only when she wants you to. This is girl-code, Loki. She's passed out. I have no idea what she's comfortable with you seeing right now." She made a twirling motion with her hand. "Now turn around."

Loki did as he was told in a huff. "I assure you, she's comfortable with me seeing her," he said, remembering a weekend together where they'd practically spent forty-eight hours naked. He considered himself an expert in taking off Darcy's panties.

"You have no idea, Loki. You're not a girl."

He rolled his eyes as he stared at the wall. "This is ridiculous … you think I'd what, grope her while she's passed out?"

Jane laughed. "No, that's not it. I don't think you'd do that at all. It's more like … if she's on her period, she'd kill me if she knew I let you completely change her clothes. Girl-code."

"Oh." He blinked rapidly.

"Yeah. _Oh._ Dudes never think of that stuff. You can turn around."

He turned to see Jane holding out a large long-sleeved t-shirt that Darcy slept in. "Here. Put this on her," she said. Darcy seemed to stir a bit as her friend rubbed her hands, trying to bring warmth back to her skin. After Loki slipped the garment over her head, Darcy curled up, hugging her knees to her chest, and fell back asleep.

He covered her with blankets and felt one of her cheeks with the back of his hand … she seemed warmer than she was. "She was ice cold. Are you okay?" Loki turned around and looked at Jane, who while dry, still had damp hair, and black smudges under her eyes from her mascara.

She shrugged. "Meh."

"What happened?"

"Hm. I'm not sure anyone will remember."

"What do you remember?" He was getting tired of vague answers to his questions.

Jane seemed to perk up a bit, recalling the past few hours. "She told Clint that she would fuck him up. And she told Thor to fuck off. And she tried to beat up Tony Stark."

_Well that's … interesting._

Loki inclined his head. "Whatever for."

"You," Jane nodded towards him.

"Me," Loki said, pointing to his chest.

She all of a sudden smiled. "Yeah, she was like all Brooklyn 'n shit, like, that's the man I love you're talkin' about, don't ever talk about my man like that again because I will _fuck you up!_ " The hand gestures she was using were quite amusing seeing as Jane usually held herself with a certain poise befitting that of a medical scholar … but then he got stuck on one little word that she'd said.

_Love?_

" _What_?"

She frowned. "Hm. I have a big mouth … that's like three times this week. I'm going to stop talking now … _bye_." Jane turned around and walked out the door, leaving Loki standing in Darcy's room, stunned.

He shook his head out and followed her.

"Jane!"

She was already down the stairs and halfway to her room when he caught up with her. She held up her hands defensively. "Nope!"

He opened his mouth to ask a question, but she didn't let him speak. "NOPE!"

Loki gestured towards the kitchen. "Please. Sit for a moment. I have something for you … but I need to go to my car. I'll be right back."

He returned to actually find her sitting at the table as he requested. He handed her a bottle of Gatorade and put another in the fridge for Darcy.

"You're a good boyfriend," she said, quietly.

Loki sat down across from her. "Did something happen with Thor?"

Jane took a long sip of her drink. "He's just different when he's around his friends. He gets caught up, ya know?"

He nodded his head slowly. "Oh, yes."

_Welcome to my childhood._

"I think he forgets I'm there sometimes."

"I assure you, Jane," Loki said. "Even at Thor's most forgetful, you are never far from his mind."

She shrugged and fiddled with her bottle.

"He's much changed, Jane," he said, trying to reassure her.

"So I hear." She looked up at him. "And you? Have you changed?"

Loki chuckled, unsure of how intoxicated Jane really was, and how much of this she'd remember in the morning. "I am changed in that I don't do heroin, yes … but I've come to believe that becoming the addict _was_ the change. And that I've only rediscovered myself, realizing that I always was … fine to begin with. I was always enough", he said. "Only now, I am me again, I am as fine as I ever was … I just don't have the giant chip on my shoulder any longer."

Jane smiled. "It's just a little smaller now?"

He laughed. "Just a bit. Listen … just tell Thor what you need, I promise you, he'll comply. You mean a great deal to him."

"Maybe." She looked at him, a bit sad. "But you should go check on her. And I'm not going to repeat what I said up there … but it was true."

Loki stood up. "Thank you."

When he got back up to Darcy's room, he checked to see if she was doing alright and found her still cold. He stripped down to his boxer-briefs and climbed in behind her, wrapping his arm around her, trying to make her warmer with his body heat. As soon as Loki knew she was in a deep sleep, he felt himself begin to nod off as well.

"I love you, too," he whispered, before giving her shoulder a soft kiss and drifting away.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Sometime in the early morning, he sensed Darcy wake up. She shot up to a sitting position on the bed, and then frantically climbed over him in order to run down the hall.

He went downstairs to get her Gatorade and then knocked softly on the bathroom door when he returned.

"I'll just be a sec," she said, her voice muffled, obviously hugging the toilet.

Several minutes later, Darcy wobbled back into her room and ducked under the covers. Loki urged her to sit up, drink something, and take a couple of Advil.

She took several long sips of her sports drink, gulping it down. "Oh my god. I think that's the best thing I've ever had in my entire life. Thanks," she said, before collapsing backward. She threw an arm over her eyes. "Loki."

He lay beside her and propped himself up by the elbow. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what."

"You obviously had to take care of my ass last night."

"I don't mind."

She put her arm down and opened her eyes. "Is Jane alright?"

"As far as I know. She was perfectly fine when I saw her last … though perhaps a bit distracted."

"Hm. I think she's pissed off at Thor."

"It would seem so."

"So Steve called you?"

"He did. How much do you remember?"

Darcy shrugged. "I remember everything. I think … I just. Damn. I can normally hold my liquor with the best of them, but that was on another level. After Steve … oh, god. After Steve held me back from punching Tony Stark, I just kind of checked out. I couldn't keep up anymore. Over and out," she saluted weakly.

She then looked up, as if she really noticed him for the first time that morning, now that the fogginess from sleep and alcohol had worn off. Darcy reached up and put a hand on his cheek. "I missed you," she said.

He smiled down at her. "I missed you, too."

"How was L.A.?"

"Productive."

Darcy brushed a thumb over his lower lip and it sent vibrations down his spine. "I'm so glad," she whispered.

She let her arm come down, her eyes resting on her sleeve. "Who put this on me?" she asked, referring to her shirt.

"I did," he grinned. "But Jane was adamant about taking care of the rest."

Darcy laughed softly. "Girl-code."

Loki narrowed his eyes. "What else is in this girl-code?"

"I can't tell you. I might have to kill you."

He chuckled. "I think I can handle it."

She thought for a second. "Hm. Part of our girl-code is that we're journal buddies. Like, if either me or Jane meets an untimely death, we've vowed to be each other's diary destroyers. She would go in and destroy any of my old journals or diaries before anyone had a chance to look through them. She knows exactly where they all are."

Loki's face twisted in confusion. "You wouldn't want someone to keep those? Children? Grandchildren?"

"Oh, hell no. No one needs to see my poetry at age 13."

"Do all women practice this girl-code?"

"Only the cool ones … I mean, don't you have like, a porn friend?"

" _Porn_ friend? I think not."

"You don't have anyone to destroy all of your porn for you … like, if you die. You don't want your family to find your porn collection."

Loki laughed. "My father wouldn't find anything, though Thor might want to think of acquiring a porn friend."

"Eh. Thor," Darcy said, losing her smile.

His eyebrows knitted together, curious. "What happened with Thor?"

She sighed heavily. "I'm not exactly sure … but he pissed me off."

"What happened, Darcy?"

She sat up slowly, reaching for the Gatorade and taking another drink. She shook her head as if she was trying to talk herself out of something … or as if she wasn't quite believing her own memories. "When Jane and I got there, they had already been drinking … so as soon as we showed up, Clint kept trying to introduce me to people. Trying to set me up with his single buddies, I guess." Darcy looked over at him. "I told him that I was taken, and to stop it."

Loki could feel a flash of angry heat start to prickle at his skin. "I see," he said.

"I guess I tried to forget about it by doing shots with Jane and just trying to have fun with her … but I think all it ended up doing was make everything worse. After the rap battle …"

"Rap battle?"

"Yes. Rap battle. We lost. I can't believe I live in a world where Thor Odinson beat me in a rap battle … but life ain't fair. Anyway, after the whole rap battle thing … and jumping in the lake, Steve offered to take me home. Clint made some asinine comment about us making a cute couple … and that on top of making jabs at me all night, I just snapped."

"You yelled at Clint?"

_Gods, I wish I could have been there._

"I did. I told him that I was happily taken and that he better shut the fuck up, or something along those lines, I'm fuzzy on the details."

"And Thor …"

Darcy shook her head. "Thor. He stood up and tried to calm me down … and I hate being treated like a hysterical woman, especially after being teased from the moment I stepped out of the car. It's like … let's piss you off all day and then call you crazy when you finally reach your breaking point. I told him to fuck off.

Loki narrowed his eyes at her. "Is that all?"

She shrugged. "I thought he could have done a better job at defending you. He watched Clint say shit all day. He was trying to be easy-going Thor … everybody's friend. And he can just go fuck himself as far as I'm concerned."

He felt his heart in his throat. "Darcy, you didn't have to do that," he said, barely audible.

"Yes I did, Loki." She then lay back, as if sitting up was taking too much energy. Darcy closed her eyes. "Yes I did."

Too many emotions were welling up inside of him and he needed to get a grip on himself before he started clutching at her, holding on to her to make sure that she was real and not some cruel dream. A specter. He needed to change the subject.

Loki lay back beside her. "So what was the beating up Tony Stark business that I heard about," he asked, with forced amusement in his voice.

Darcy gave a harsh laugh. "Ughhhhh, that man. I know he's just by nature, a smart ass … and under the right circumstances, he and I would probably get along just great. But he had to go and say something about Bucky, at exactly the right time … and I guess I just went after him. Steve caught me." She smiled over to him. "And then I called him a Backstreet Boy."

He reached over and felt her cheek … he was satisfied that she seemed a lot warmer. "Ouch, Darcy. A Backstreet Boy?"

She gave him an anemic slap on the shoulder. "Shhh. He deserved it. Stupid facial hair." Darcy closed her eyes and yawned.

Loki kissed her forehead. "Get some more sleep, darling. You need rest."

She rolled over onto her side, lethargic, as if their conversation had worn her out. "Okay. Wake me up tomorrow. I think I'll just hide under here all day. It's nice and cozy." Darcy searched for his hand and pulled Loki's arm around her waist. "Please stay," she said quietly.

"I'm not going anywhere."

_As if I would be anywhere else but here, right next to you._

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

In the afternoon, Darcy was still asleep and Loki couldn't stay in bed any longer without a purpose. There was no more sleeping, and obviously no sex, as Darcy was out … she apparently hadn't been kidding about being woken up tomorrow. He decided to go downstairs and set his laptop up at the kitchen table to get a bit of work done. After a few hours in the zone, and after it started to get dark outside, he heard the doorbell.

It took him a couple of seconds, as he wasn't sure if he should be answering Jane and Darcy's door, but he went ahead and did it.

"Thor," Loki said, as he found his brother on the front porch, looking tired.

"I need to talk to Jane," he said, walking inside. "She's not answering her phone."

"Perhaps you should give her a little time. She's obviously resting. Darcy has been sleeping all day."

Thor nodded. "How are they?"

"Fine."

His brother nervously smoothed his hair with his fingers. "Loki … I. I know that Darcy is upset with me. And Jane is obviously upset as well. I want you to know that …"

Loki held up a hand, not wanting to hear any of it. "Don't. Please."

Thor sighed. "I am sorry."

Loki turned to walk back into the kitchen.

"Loki."

He stopped but didn't look at his brother … though whatever Thor was about to say, was cut off by Jane yelling for Loki to come upstairs.

Both of them ran upstairs to find her leaning over Darcy, feeling her forehead, her stethoscope around her neck. It looked a little odd, seeing as Jane appeared to be wearing a flannel shirt and mismatched flannel pajama bottoms ... but her patient appeared to be shivering, with her arms wrapped around her knees in a fetal position.

"What are you doing here?" Jane asked Thor as soon as she saw him, but before he could answer, she shook her head. "Whatever. I don't care. Loki … do you know how long she's been like this?"

He rushed over to Darcy and felt her cheeks ... she was burning up. "She felt a bit warm earlier, but it wasn't alarming. I went downstairs a few hours ago and she was fine … still asleep. What's happened?"

Jane shook her head, frowning. "She can't seem to keep anything down, she has a temperature of 103 … and her lungs don't sound great. I need to take her to Urgent Care … that incredibly stupid dip in the lake we took last night, seems to have manifested into what looks like a bad case of the flu."

Loki took his phone out of his pocket. "I'll just call Bruce."

She looked up at him, offended. "Wait … what? I'm a doctor, Loki. She needs antibiotics, fluids … er, oh. _Bruce_. Um, sure … I'll just go get changed," she said, blushing, as she ran past Thor in order to freshen up. His brother then mercifully followed after her, instead of lingering in the doorway like an idiot.

As the phone rang, he sat down on the bed next to Darcy. He should have been checking on her frequently … but she had seemed fine. He figured she was just hungover.

"Hey Loki," his friend answered.

"Bruce. Can you come over to Darcy and Jane's house? Darcy seems to have the flu, or something of that nature. It looks quite serious. I'll give you the address."

"Loki … I don't make house calls. I'm not that kind of doctor. You should take her to Urgent Care."

He rolled his eyes. "You might as well just come over here, because I'm not going to take no for an answer … and need I remind you that I spent hours in a trailer with you, while you tended to the unwashed cretins of Appalachia who still use outhouses. Was that not one big mountain-top house call? So please, let's surpass this and get on with our lives."

He could hear Bruce sigh heavily. "Fine. What's the address."

After getting off the phone, Loki bent down, put his cheek to Darcy's forehead, and tried to keep the worry out of his voice. "Everything is going to be alright, darling. We have a Nobel Prize-nominated doctor coming to the house. Of course, the pressures of his research once drove him to cocaine abuse, but it happens to the best of us. He meditates now."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Jane stood next to Bruce with a mystified look on her face … like George Clooney was standing in Darcy's room, examining her friend. "I can't believe you're making a house call. This is so amazing of you."

Bruce smiled. "It's no big deal. Loki and I help each other out." He then asked her a slew of questions that she answered as if she was being quizzed by the chief of the university hospital, and her career depended on it. But seeing as Jane had been quite inebriated, Banner had to ask Loki about the state Darcy was in the previous evening.

"Was she shivering like this last night? Disoriented? Fatigued?"

Loki nodded. "Yes, but she'd been drinking. I assumed the disorientation and fatigue stemmed from that. And she was shivering, but we got her out of her wet clothes and made her as comfortable as possible."

"And you've been giving her fluids?"

"Gatorade," Jane jumped in. "But I don't think she's kept any of it down."

"We need to get her to the hospital," Bruce said.

"The hospital?" Loki said, alarmed.

Banner tried to give a calming look. "She'll be fine, Loki … but she's terribly dehydrated. And she may have been intoxicated last night, but I believe she was showing signs of mild hypothermia. She spent too much time in cold and wet clothing after being in a freezing lake. You did a good thing, warming her up like you did … but with her high fever, and not being able to keep anything down, she needs fluids intravenously, before this gets very serious. And before pneumonia sets in, as that is very dangerous."

Loki promptly knelt over the bed, picked Darcy up, and began carrying her to the car. "Let's go."

"I'll drive," Bruce said. Jane and Thor followed behind.

It was the beginning of a very long night of going back and forth between being very worried and being very angry. After everything settled down, he planned on choking to death every single person who encouraged the girls to jump in the lake … starting with Tony Stark and including his brother and Clint Barton.

Though he had to admit, having a world-renowned doctor as a friend was quite convenient, as all Bruce had to do was the say the word and Darcy was immediately treated and given a comfortable room. He also made it so the hospital allowed her boyfriend and friends to stick around instead of being made to stay in a waiting room or told to go home, since none of them were technically family. Loki silently vowed that after he'd murdered everyone from the party, he'd then make it a point to be nicer to Banner.

Through the wee hours of the morning, Loki never left Darcy's side … as Jane and Thor wandered in and out, arguing and then making up in the hallway, his brother actually being supportive and helping her through the guilt of missing her friend's symptoms, and not realizing what was going on sooner. Loki also went over everything in his head in an endless loop, wishing he would have been more aware, paying closer attention.

By early afternoon, Gianna swept into the room, changing the dynamic completely. Jane had called her as soon as they'd left for the hospital and she'd gotten right on the next plane out of New York. She was all of a sudden there in her black pants-suit, heels, and red lipstick, standing over Loki and looking at Jane. "Everybody out! I need to be with my daughter," she commanded.

Darcy stirred in her bed, feeling a little better, but still very weak. Loki stood from the chair, stretching out his cramped muscles. "I'm staying here," he said, a bit tired.

Gianna walked over and took his hand. "No. You need to go home and get some real rest for a few hours. I'll take over for awhile, I am her mother." She reached up and cupped his cheek, as she seemed to like to do. "Thank you for taking such good care of her," she smiled. Darcy's mom then took a lock of his unruly hair between her fingers and frowned. "And maybe take a shower. Now, _out_."

Loki couldn't argue with that. He went back to the house and did as he was told … after tending to Fenrir, Norman, and Hell, of course. And after a very long jog to work out his murderous thoughts.

When he returned to the hospital, he found Gianna in the hallway, talking heatedly on the phone to one of Darcy's professors ... and Tony Stark in her room.

"What are you doing here?"

Tony turned, managing to look sharp in a Black Sabbath t-shirt and tailored trousers … but he actually had what looked like an expression of concern on his face. As soon as he saw Loki, his normal mask of a smug grin returned. "Hey, Reindeer Games, I was just looking in on your sassy girlfriend. How did you get so lucky, by the way?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but _your_ luck is about to run out if you don't leave right now," Loki said, with menace in his voice.

Darcy weakly sat up on her elbows, her IV dangling from her hand. She looked too fragile and too small, and it nearly broke his heart into pieces. "It's okay, Loki," she said quietly. "He was just dropping off a get-well gift."

Tony swiveled back towards her. "I think I will be going, sweetheart, but I want to say again, how very sorry I am. I promise, no more Anakin jokes. Cross my heart and hope to never design a genius piece of ground-breaking engineering again."

She smiled and gave a feeble laugh. "It's my own damn fault, Mr. Stark. Shit happens."

He stared at her for a second. "It's Tony, please. And no, it's not your fault … but yes, shit does happen, and I am sorry that it did."

"Thanks, Tony."

As he brushed past Loki in the doorway, Stark made sure to speak low in his ear. "Marry that girl. Believe me, you aren't going to do any better," he said, before moseying on down the hallway with his hands in his pockets.

"What's 'Reindeer Games'?"

Loki turned towards her and blinked at Darcy's question, shaking the shock of what Tony had said out of his head. He looked up towards the ceiling and sighed. "Please. Don't ask."

She laughed. "Okay."

He walked over and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "And what gift did the great Tony Stark bestow upon you, my darling?"

Darcy pursed her lips trying not to laugh. She held up a large framed photograph she had laying next to her on the bed. "It's an autographed picture of Tony with the Backstreet Boys."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Over the course of Darcy's hospital visit, Loki helped her to receive a few more guests, each more surprising than the last. At one point, Steve Rogers walked in with Bucky Barnes … and at any other time, Loki would have thrown his strangest fan out of the room, but seeing as Bucky was one of the only people he didn't want to choke to death, as the lad had been mercifully absent from Clint's party … Loki let it slide.

The twosome came bearing desserts. Darcy unwrapped her package and gave an anemic squeal. "Oh my god, you guys! Cheesecake from Junior's in Brooklyn! How did you do this?"

Steve smiled. "Tony had it flown in to thank me for taking care of you and Jane. I figured you deserved some too."

Darcy's mouth opened in shock. "You get cheesecake and I get a picture of him with the Backstreet Boys? You made out so much better than me."

"I know," Steve said. "That's why we brought some over to you."

"YOU!"

They all turned towards the doorway to find Gianna standing there with her hands on her hips.

"Gianna!" Bucky said, with a mixture of surprise and fear.

The shorter woman walked up to him and stuck a finger in his face, her heels clacking on the floor. "Get the hell out of this room now, unless you want me to rip that ridiculous metal thing from your body and beat you senseless with it!

Bucky held up his hands and began to back out into the hallway. "I'm so sorry, Gianna."

"Mom, it's okay."

"NO! It's not okay! It's a slap in the face to women everywhere that a slimeball such as yourself still gets to be this good-looking! Now keep going, little boy. Keep running like you always do!" Gianna followed Bucky out the door, and chased him down the hallway.

After staring at each other for a few seconds in silence, the remaining people in the room could still hear Gianna's voice, growing further away. "I don't feel sorry for you, you one-armed bastard!"

They all broke out into laughter, even Steve.

"I love my mom," Darcy said.

"I love her, too," Loki added.

"We all do," Steve said. "Even Bucky. I'm sure Gianna could beat him bloody, and he'd still love her."

Darcy lay back, exhausted. "And that's the thing. Deep down, she still loves him, too. I mean, she'd beat him bloody, of course, but it would be out of love."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Later in the evening, as Darcy was sleeping and Loki sat in the chair reading, he looked up to see Clint Barton standing in the doorway, in his black jeans and leather jacket … and an unreadable expression on his face, as always.

Loki stood quickly, facing him.

Clint nodded towards Darcy. "Thor called me."

Loki only frowned, unsure of what was happening. Clint hadn't spoken to him since his own trip to the hospital two years before.

"I'm sorry that she ended up in the hospital. Things just … it was …" he trailed off.

As Clint wasn't one for feelings or apologies, he walked up to Loki and slapped him on the shoulder. "Listen. If you don't marry that girl … you're an asshole."

Loki couldn't do anything but stand there and look confused, but eventually, he nodded.

Barton gave him what looked like an apologetic grin. "I'll see you later, Loki." And with that, he walked out the door.

It was probably the closest thing to forgiveness that was ever going to happen. For either of them.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

It took Darcy a little while to start feeling like herself again. A few days after returning home from the hospital, she started going back through the motions of being a normal person … but not without extreme caution, as demanded by Loki. Gianna stayed for a couple of days, but left because she had to get back to work, and also because she approved of the job he was doing. At one point, Loki was going back and forth to his house so often, in order to care for Fenrir, that Darcy's mother insisted he just bring the dog over. Loki expressed concern that it seemed a bit presumptuous, as it would look like he was moving in ... but she just scoffed and told him that she had practically moved in with Darcy's father after knowing him for three weeks. He of course, then acquiesced … however, he left strict instructions with Thor on how to care for Norman and Hell, as his brother was all of a sudden willing to do anything for either himself, Darcy, or Jane. Loki laughed to himself at the thought of Thor with Hell's special spray-bottle every morning, giving her water.

On the Monday after she'd come down with the flu and subsequent hospital visit, Loki found Darcy in the shower in the early morning … he'd gotten concerned when he woke up at sunrise and her side of the bed was empty. He opened the bathroom door to see that she was leaning up against the wall with her forehead on the shower tiles, sobbing into the steamy air.

He gently pulled back the curtain. "Darling, what's wrong?" he asked.

She looked up, a bit surprised to find him there. She let out a heavy sigh and turned back to the tiles. "I'm fine, Loki. I'm just kind of overwhelmed. I have so much work to catch up on … this whole thing was so stupid."

He removed his boxer-briefs and t-shirt and got into the shower with her, wincing a bit at how hot the water was. He kissed her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her. "Everything is going to be just fine, Darcy. Your mother and Steve spoke to your professors, you have time to make up everything you missed, and I'll help you any way that I can. And like you told Tony Stark … shit happens, does it not? It's not your fault."

Darcy turned around and laughed. "You're too good to me, you know?" she said, looking up at him.

He frowned. "That's a ridiculous thing to say. I could say the same thing to you. You're too good to me." He bent down and kissed her temple, then started the process of shampooing her hair and massaging her scalp with soapsuds.

She relaxed and leaned against him while he worked. "Let's just keep being good to each other," she said.

Loki grinned. "I don't think that will be too hard."

Darcy looked down as he switched to conditioner. "I'm sorry I got mad at you … before you went to L.A."

"Don't be."

"No. I should have just left it alone … trusted your judgement. Sometimes things are just weird, like a grey area."

"Hm. Please don't worry too much about it, Darcy. My father isn't worth getting upset over. I'm sorry that I just made things worse."

"It's cool babe. In the meantime, I'll just get a few tattoos on my face … then he'll really love me." She started to giggle as he put her under the water to rinse off. Loki was glad they seemed to be at a point where they could joke about it.

"Just make sure all the spelling is right, nothing upsets him more than misspelled tattoos."

"I'll get a tattoo of your name and spell it 'L-O-Q-U-I' … or 'L-O-K-E-E'."

"Dear gods no, please tell me you don't want to give your children's names clever spellings. I will not have children with names with unnecessary vowels or 'Y's, or 'K's' in place of 'C's."

He then winced at what he just said.

"It'll be fine," she said, seemingly unaffected. "I want my kids to have very traditional names. How about a son named 'Bill' … but we'll spell it 'B-Y-L'."

Loki laughed. "Wouldn't it have to be 'William'?"

"Sure. 'W-Y-L-Y-M'. Byl for short."

"I fear I've just created a monster."

Darcy smiled and leaned against him.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah … I'm just a little tired," she mumbled into his chest.

"You should take it easy, darling. You're probably still quite weakened from sickness. Let's go back to bed … it's still very early."

She nodded. "Okay."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

After going through a normal morning ritual of a shower and the brushing of ones teeth, they climbed back in bed with minimal clothing on, as the shower had been as hot as Darcy could stand it, and the bathroom had turned into a bit of a sauna. It seemed like they'd only nodded off for a few minutes before Darcy began to run her fingers over Loki's stomach in little circles, making things a bit difficult for him. He hadn't made love to her in days and day after all, and he was beginning to feel the aching effects of deprivation … but she was sick and he needed to keep his hands to himself.

_Does she realize what she's doing?_

He began thinking about cold showers, but that did nothing for him … as he was only reminded of their shower from an hour before, and Darcy's gorgeous naked and wet body. He internally groaned.

_Or was that out loud?_

She began to dip her fingers beneath the waistband of his boxer-briefs, finding him hard.

"Darcy," he said. A warning.

She wrapped her hand around him and started moving against him, throwing a leg over one of his. Loki groaned, most assuredly out loud this time. "I miss you," she whispered.

He closed his eyes, beginning to lose himself in the warm gentle feeling of her palm. "You're sick," he said, his voice strangled.

Darcy completely stilled her hand, letting go and removing it from under his boxer-briefs. "Oh," she said. "Sorry … I don't want to get you sick."

_Huh?_

She had completely misunderstood what he meant. His eyes flew open. "No, no, you won't make me sick, I assure you … I just don't want you to … overexert yourself. You've been seriously ill."

Darcy laughed softly. "Hn. You won't get sick? You and your god-like constitution."

He grinned back at her. "I'm only so god-like, darling. Keep rubbing your thigh like that against me, and I'll forget all about being a benevolent deity."

She continued moving against him suggestively. "O', benevolent one … when I get that feeling … I want _SEX-_ ual healing." Darcy then stopped her ministrations and started giggling, rolling onto her back. "Sexual healing … oh baby … makes me feel … so fine."

He turned towards her on his side. "You're quite mad, you realize," he deadpanned.

She stopped laughing for a moment, trying to keep a straight face. "Please don't procrastinate. It's not good to masterbate." Darcy then broke out in a full belly laugh.

He lay there, staring at his achingly-charming girl. "If I grant your prayer, mortal, are you going to keep reciting Marvin Gaye lyrics? It might be a bit distracting if you're laughing at me the whole time."

She stopped giggling and reached for his hand, guiding it between her legs and under the plain cotton that was covering her. He loved when she did this … like she was so overcome, that she couldn't wait for him to get there himself.

His breath caught in his throat. _So very wet already_.

"Please," she said, in a breathy voice.

"As my mortal wishes." He kissed her urgently, his own body becoming quite amped up, his hand resting between her thighs while two fingers began to expertly and gently explore her slick flesh, finding the right spot, and she began to writhe and moan, already climbing.

He stilled his movements, as it was all about to happen too quickly. He wanted to draw this out. Loki sat up, kneeling over her, and pulled Darcy's camisole over her head. "If this starts becoming too much for you," he said. "Let me know, we'll stop … or I'll go slower."

She came up on her elbows, looking as if she wanted to roll her eyes at him, but stopped herself. "Alright, just put your hands and your mouth on me," she said, a bit desperately.

He grinned at her obvious need.

_I make her feel this way._

She watched with dark eyes as he slipped off his boxer-briefs. No more laughter.

Loki lowered his weight on top of her, the tender sensation of their shared nakedness feeling like home, so comforting, so good, and so right. He kissed her, letting their tongues mingle together before he left her mouth and began making his way down to her breasts. "Let me take care of you," he breathed into her skin.

"You do take care of me," she said, unable to keep her hips still, moving slowly against him, making all reason leave his brain.

"Hmmm, I want to always take care of you," he whispered, before burying his face in warm soft skin. His mouth found her nipple and he flicked his tongue over it, feeling the flesh harden from his attention.

"Yesssss," she hissed, bringing her hands to his head, fingers in his hair. She arched into his lips, her body pleading for more … but he was adamant about taking his time, paying attention to each breast, his mouth determined to kiss every bit of soft skin. She had teased that he was a god, but in reality she was the goddess, and he wished to lay before her a proper offering.

When her breathing became heavy and she started whimpering his name, he brought his attentions lower, sliding down her body, kissing her belly … and he began to slip off the rest of her clothing, tugging the fabric down her hips, her legs, and out of the way. Loki made his way up her inner-thigh, grazing the tender skin with his lips and groaned as he finally tasted her, the vibrations from his voice making her hips rise off the bed. She tipped her pelvis to meet him.

He ran his tongue along her and she began to cry out. He loved that Darcy was so very responsive, the sounds she made gave him life sometimes, it seemed. And he loved how secure she was now in his love for her body, how she now opened for him completely and without hesitation. How she eagerly welcomed him. He slowly circled around her clit, and then gently sucked … and when he could feel her thighs begin to tremble, knowing she was close, he backed off, going slower, more gentle.

"Please. I need you inside."

The urgent plea made his cock pulse. He was already so very painfully hard, and felt the desperate instinct to drive into her, his own need beginning to overshadow his plan to go as slow as possible. Loki gave her clit a bit more care, making sure she was wet, dripping, lubricated. When he felt satisfied, he sat up and climbed over her, aligning himself, and she grabbed his hips, persuading him to get on with it.

The moan she made when he slid inside made him want to snap his hips and fuck her until she forgot her name, but he managed to gently thrust, moving in and out slowly as she opened for him. "Is this alright?" he asked, before all sense was removed from his mind.

"Don't you dare stop," she panted.

_Gladly._

He pushed in deep and held himself there, before grinding against her, rolling his hips, instead of thinking only of his own pleasure and plunging in and out. He thought of how she moved on top of him, rocking fluidly.

He dipped his head and kissed between her breasts. "I've so missed being inside you."

"Hnnnn, me too. What does it feel like."

Loki put most of his weight in his arms and looked down at her … her eyes were closed in pleasure, her lips parted, giving a little moan every time his hips pressed into her … her breasts bare, her thighs spread beneath him, her calves and ankles hooked around his legs, her hands clutching at his waist. There was absolutely nothing better in the world than this.

"It feels … tight. So tight."

"And?"

"So warm … wet. It feels …"

"It feels …"

"Perfect." He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. "Darcy," he said roughly. "My vocabulary as left me. I can only think of four words right now."

"Me too." She smiled lazily as they moved together. "Me too."

Loki reached down between them to spread her apart, to make sure her clit was coming into direct contact with his skin, his pelvic bone. He paid attention to her sounds, to her movements … when her hips rose off the bed more, in response to a certain angle, he made sure to keep himself there.

Darcy's neck arched back, her body relaxing into what was happening. "Right there … right there," she said.

He kept pushing. "Right here?"

"Oh … Loki. Right there. Don't stop … don't stop."

"I'll never stop. Not until you tell me to."

He could feel it starting to happen … he could feel it around his cock, the beginnings of an orgasm.

_Hers._

"Oh … my ... _god_."

His climax began to threaten but he was determined to keep his promise. He wasn't going to stop.

She gasped, half in surprise and half in pleasure and held her breath for a second, and it was as if time stopped, suspended in one moment for a lifetime, until she came ... beneath him, under him. Trembling. Moaning his name. _His_ name.

He continued to move against her until her orgasm ebbed, before losing complete control of the moment. Overcome with too much … too much emotion, too much stimulation, he pulled out halfway and then thrust back into her hard. There was a tiny thought in the back of his head that said he was supposed to be gentle, but when she wrapped her legs around him to urge him on, that tiny voice was obliterated. He began to fuck her. He fucked her until his own release was imminent, and he was coming inside of her, sounding as if she'd reached through his chest and grabbed a hold of his heart.

Loki had so wanted this to happen. He had felt that if he could make her come like this, then he would have possessed her. She would well and truly be his … some kind of misguided male pride. But quite the opposite was true … he was the one possessed. She had his heart, just as she had her arms and legs wrapped around him, cradling him.

He collapsed on top of her, spent, welcomed by her breasts and warm flushed skin. Darcy pushed hair out of his eyes and behind his ear in an incredibly tender gesture.

Loki breathed in deep, the scent of both of them together intoxicating.

"Darcy … I love you."

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> XXXXXX
> 
> I put some "Sexual Healing" song lyrics in there (Marvin Gaye), in case you didn't catch them. And I swear to god, "please don't procrastinate, it's not good to masterbate" are actual lyrics from that song. It's at the very end.
> 
> I also want to say, that I tried my best to be accurate, but I'm not a healthcare professional, so my knowledge of the flu and hospitals and hypothermia isn't anywhere near extensive. I'm just going off of what I've experienced, what people I know have experienced, and what I look up. I tried to do as much research as possible, but if anyone feels as if I got anything horribly wrong, feel free to message me.
> 
> Next chapter is Darcy, and she's always much easier for me, so hopefully I can get that up in a few days. I'd like to finish the fic within a few weeks.
> 
> Next up: Darcy's POV and a meeting ... actually, a few meetings. And maybe a surprise. Also, Erik (THANK THE GODS), I miss writing him ;-)


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which ... some stuff happens ;-) That's all I'm sayin'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your amazing comments and encouragements on the last chapter, you guys. I hope you enjoy this one, too.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

_Erik: How are you, sweetie?_

_Darcy: I'm fucked :-/ So. Much. Work.  
_

_Erik: Well, I'll be there in a few weeks, so get yourself unfucked._

_Darcy: Did you just tell me to go unfuck myself?_

_Erik: Yes I did._

_..._

The first few days home after Darcy's hospital visit, were kind of the worst, as she had two people fawning over her at all times ... and three when Jane was home, making sure she was taking all of her medicine. The guilt over letting her illness get as far as it did, seemed to turn them into annoying helicopters, always buzzing around, not letting her work, telling her to take it easy, go back to bed. Plus, there was her mom, who she loved dearly, and who always knew exactly how to care for her when she was sick … but all the questions that inevitably started being asked were getting irritating. Mainly about Loki.

Before Gianna left, she spent the morning with her, lying in bed, like she would do when Darcy was little and sick.

"He loves you, piccolina," she said, while grinning.

Darcy stared at the ceiling, not wanting to go there. "Does he?"

"You would probably be a lot more sick right now, if he didn't."

Darcy sighed heavily. "Thanks."

"Do you love him?"

"Don't you think it's a little early for all that?"

Darcy's mom scoffed. "I told your father I loved him after a week."

"That's because you're you."

Gianna rolled onto her back. "It was because after I moved to New York, I was so homesick. I lived with your uncle and had a wonderful new job, but the city was so strange. I met your father within only a few weeks … I told him about how I missed the gelato in Rome, eating it while sitting on the Spanish Steps and watching the whole city walk by. He bought me a gigantic ice cream cone, rocky road, very American … and he took me to sit by the fountain in Central Park. He said, 'see? We have good things here, too. You can watch the whole world walk by.' She smiled at the memory. "How could I not tell him that I loved him?"

"Dad was such a romantic," Darcy said, with a bit of sarcasm in her voice, as who can actually think of their father in such a way. _Gross_.

Gianna raised an eyebrow. "You laugh. And to you, he was silly. Men get to be silly with their little girls. But to me … he was … _home_ , when I felt separated from mine."

Darcy didn't want to get into a teary discussion about her dad, as she'd been feeling sensitive about pretty much everything over the past few days, so she steered the conversation in another direction. "So you think that grand romantic gestures are enough for declarations of love?"

"Rarely. But when thoughtful enough, and if you feel it, of course. Don't hide your feelings. Say what you want …"

"Don't be so American," Darcy finished for her.

"Hn. You make fun, but I think you'd find that you're happiest and most proud, when you raise your voice to be heard."

Darcy thought about telling Clint and Thor to fuck off, and how even though they might have been angry, she didn't care. It had felt good. "Maybe," she said. "But I can't go around yelling at everyone all the time."

"That's not what I said … but when you have something to say, say it. And with conviction."

"Okay, mom."

"So do you love him?"

She rolled her eyes. "Ugh, yes! Okay?"

Gianna smiled, triumphant. "I knew it."

"Then why do you keep asking? "Where is he anyway?"

"I sent him to get his dog … he keeps going back and forth, it's ridiculous … so I told him to bring him here. And I wanted you to myself for a bit, make you breakfast, before I leave."

Darcy grinned. "I love your breakfasts … something other than toast."

"He tries, darling. And your stomach will be sensitive for awhile. Toast is good."

Darcy giggled. "I love how he calls toast 'hot buttered toast' … like, what other kind of toast is there? It's just toast." She figured it was a European thing, or something he picked up from being educated in England. She found it cute.

Gianna reached over and touched her daughter's face. "See? You love him. Enjoy it. Because one of these days, he'll call it 'hot buttered toast' and you'll want to wallop him over the head … which of course, is love too."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Darcy woke up sometime before dawn and couldn't go back to sleep. She couldn't stop thinking about all the work she was behind on, and her sorely neglected blog. She worried that she was about to lose readership due to not posting in so long, and she was worried about school, missing so much of it the past week. The party had been so stupid. The jump in the lake had been so very fucking stupid, and it was all her own damn fault … if only she would have changed out of her wet clothes when Natasha offered. Actually, if only she wouldn't have taken on that damn bet in the first place.

And then there was Loki. Her mother was right, she did love him. She loved him dearly, even before she got sick. And now, she loved him for how he took care of her, like there was never any question that he'd do it. That he'd be there. She'd rolled her eyes at him several times, of course … like when she walked around the house with no socks on, and he insisted that she put some on. She hated wearing socks. She almost never wore them, unless it was with running shoes or boots. That had been irritating, but she complied.

He was there of course, in her bed, like he belonged there, next to her … his black hair down, spilled over the pillow, his breathing even and steady. Darcy watched him sleep for a moment. He looked so young in his sleep, and vulnerable. Sleeping next to someone did that, opened you up … the intimacy of it, there had to be a special trust there, for someone like Loki. Every mask is stripped away while you sleep, every act you put on for the world, and with all that dissolved … he just looked … strangely content. His thoughts weren't everywhere at once, questioning everything and everyone at all times. Questioning motives and feelings. It was probably something he was so used to. And perhaps for good reason.

She thought about how Thor had told everyone at the party he was adopted … as if that explained why he went off the rails, and not the circumstances surrounding it. She thought about how people had laughed. She remembered everything … about how his own brother had made light of the addiction that he'd so painfully and courageously overcome. And she knew that it was still an everyday battle for Loki, and that it probably always would be.

There was no way she could ever tell him that, about everything that was really said. All the gory details.

Darcy also remembered how she'd yelled at Clint, told him that Loki was the man she loved. He deserved someone who could tell him that … and she felt like a coward since she couldn't quite do it yet. But then again, he hadn't said anything either, so.

_So, what?_

After feeling like a creeper for staring at him so long, because goddamn the man was _fine_ , she finally got up and went to the shower. She wanted to wash all the sickness off, all the weirdness, all the stupidity of last week. Darcy turned up the hot water perhaps a little high, but the steam felt good, felt cleansing. She stood in the shower for awhile just leaning up against the tiles, thinking about how foolish she'd been … how she'd gotten angry at Loki about not meeting his dad. He was only trying to protect her, in his way. Was it not the same as Darcy refraining from telling him about Thor? About all of Clint's jabs? She didn't want him to be hurt. And he would be so hurt.

She began to cry … for him, for the whole sad situation.

"Darling, what's wrong?"

She looked back to see Loki standing there. Darcy didn't exactly know what to say. She turned back towards the wall and sighed. "I'm fine, Loki. I'm just kind of overwhelmed. I have so much work to catch up on … this whole thing was so stupid."

She then found him suddenly behind her, kissing her shoulder. She closed her eyes. This felt so good. He felt so good. She wanted to say it.

_I love you so much._

But she said it in another way, for now. By letting him take care of her, washing her hair, rinsing her off … and then later again, in a much different sort of way.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

_HOLY SHIT, he said it._

Darcy lay with Loki's warm weight on top of her, with her arms and legs wrapped around him.

"I love you, too."

_Holy shit, I said it._

Loki rose up on his arms and looked down at her, a look of surprise on his face, and yet said nothing … just stared.

She smiled up at him lazily, still buzzing from climax … he was still inside of her, growing softer. "I love you, too," she said, again.

He closed his eyes and lowered himself back down, giving her one of those kisses that took your breath away. When she was finally able to come up for air, she found herself giddy. "Holy shit!"

Loki kissed her on the neck and then rolled off of her, and onto his side. He had a dazed look on his face. "Holy shit?"

Darcy grinned over to him. "Hell yeah, holy shit. I can't believe that happened."

He rolled his eyes. "I was beginning to think that it would never happen."

She leaned over and ran a finger down his chest. "Well, performance issues … it's not that uncommon."

Loki gasped and his eyes got big. He looked as though he couldn't decide whether to be amused or offended.

"What?" she teased. "Oh my god, it was a joke. _Obviously_. What is it with men like you?"

Loki chuckled. "I think it's pretty apparent that there are no men like me."

Darcy rolled her eyes. "There are always men like you."

He raised an eyebrow and she broke out into laughter. "Okay, okay … there's no men like you. You got me. But to really convince me, you're gonna have to do something for me."

He smiled at the challenge. "And what's that?"

"Do it again."

And so it started … Loki and Darcy's next few weeks of sexual experimentation in countless positions, on various surfaces, and in rooms that were not Jane's. Or on the couch, as there was a strict no-sex rule for that particular piece of furniture. But the attic, under the black lights and starry paintings … that was a lot of fun.

There were also a few countertops, such as the bathroom. And then there was the time Darcy was chopping vegetables for dinner ... in the same outfit she'd worn, the first night Loki had come over to the house. A shirt-dress, tights, and boots. He got nostalgic and bent her over the counter … he had her clutching at the cutting board. She had squashed up tomatoes all over her hands, when all was said and done. And the neighbors might have been wondering what the hell was going on … as Loki would say the craziest shit, like "I'm going to have the Amazon running between your thighs, by the end of this" … in that dark baritone. So she got a little carried away. Holy fuck, that had been fun.

And of course, there was the time they were trying to do work at the dining room table, with their laptops and papers strewn all about. She had only meant to sit in his lap for a quick kiss, but thank God for skirts, because all she had to do was push her thong aside and unzip his trousers, and chair-sex was a wonderful and beautiful thing. That is, until Jane walked in on them. They heard the front door open and froze, even though they were both close to climax. They tried to quickly fix their clothes, but when Jane walked by, she asked if she was interrupting something. They had said no, of course … but she gave them an unconvincing look, after seeing that Loki's eyes were crossed. After she mercifully walked back to her room, Loki pulled Darcy upstairs ... where he demanded that she take off all her clothes and lie face-down on the bed … and then proceeded to literally fuck her into the mattress.

That had been a lot of fun.

And then there was the day Darcy _finally_ felt like she'd caught up on all her work, except for a load of Art History reading. Loki had gone to check up on his father and take a few phone conferences at his house, so she decided to wait for him in bed … naked.

Well, _almost_ naked.

He pretty much spent all of his time at her house these days, so he had a key. He walked into her room to find her lying across her quilt with a book, and stopped dead in his tracks.

"What are you doing?"

She looked up briefly. "Oh, I'm just reading about feminist art in the 70's"

"What are you wearing?"

Darcy looked down at her legs. "Socks," she shrugged. "You told me I had to wear socks around the house." They were actually her cute pink thigh-high socks that she sometimes wore with boots.

Loki slowly took off all his clothes while she pretended to continue reading. He then walked up to her, took her glasses off, and told her to sit on his face. How could she not? After that, she was rewarded with some of the dirtiest sex she'd ever had the absolute pleasure of taking part in.

She decided to remember the thigh-high thing.

And of course, there was the coffee shop. They had met up for lunch and decided to finally finish what they started months earlier, in the unisex bathroom. Darcy was relieved they hadn't actually followed through on that particular surface for their first time, because it ended up being a bit awkward, though funny. They laughed as she kept being pushed back on the marble counter with each of Loki's thrusts, making things difficult. It all ended up pretty amazing though, as they switched to fucking over the sink and in front of the mirrors.

Mirrors were fun.

But after they went back to their table, to sip at lattes and eat their bagels, they were brought out of their love-stoned haze by a gruff voice and commanding presence, standing over them.

"Loki."

He looked up and dropped his bagel. "Father." Loki then seemed to sit up straighter, a habit? "Em. What are you doing here?"

The older man was wrapped up in a trenchcoat, a scarf, and a fedora. He gave a chuckle. "Getting out of the house, as I can hardly stand it any longer. I've been feeling much better, and the coffee here is always decent."

Darcy blushed and froze, as she wasn't sure what she should be doing. She looked down at her arm with the tattoos and was relieved to see it covered by her black sweater. She was also worried that the fact they'd just gotten busy in the bathroom, was somehow written all across her face.

Dr. Odinson looked over to see her fidgeting. "And this must be your new girlfriend, Loki?"

He visibly took a deep breath. "Ah, yes. Father, this is Darcy Lewis."

He reached over to shake her hand, and she gave him a bright smile. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you," she said.

Loki's dad laughed softly, the wrinkles at his eyes crinkling. "Ah, yes. Finally. I was beginning to think you were a figment of his wild imagination, but here you are. I fear that he thinks I'll scare you away."

"Father," Loki said, with an edge.

"Oh, that's okay," Darcy said, trying to dissolve the obvious tension. "I don't scare easily. I mean, Loki insulted me in the Italian language the first time he met me, and that didn't scare me away," she grinned over at him.

Dr. Odinson laughed a bit louder. "Did he now. And why would you do such a thing, Loki?"

"He underestimated me," Darcy spoke for him. "He didn't know that I speak Italian."

"In my defense," Loki said, "the women Thor introduced me to in the past, had very little grasp of the English language, let alone the ability to speak two."

"Well, it's a good thing that Thor decided to all of a sudden pick up smart and classy ladies."

"Indeed. I seem to remember you reciting the poetry of the great Justin Timberlake that day. Very classy."

"Hey, _Justified_ was the 'Beethoven's Symphony No. 9' of our times."

Loki's father looked between the two of them, perhaps sensing their easy back and forth banter. He cleared his throat. "I was wondering, Darcy, if you would have dinner with us tomorrow evening. Thor and Jane will be there, of course."

She blinked up at him and then over at Loki. "Sure! I'd love to. I mean … if you don't have a bunch of work to do. I know you've been busy, having to prepare for your long weekend in New York, meeting with your publisher and everything" she said, giving him an out.

He gave her a little smile, knowing what she was doing. "No, that's fine. We'll be there, father."

Dr. Odinson clapped his hands together. "Wonderful."

"Yes," Loki said, sardonically. "Wonderful."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Needless to say, dinner the next night was a bit awkward. Darcy quietly sat next to Loki at the family's fancy dining room table, while Dr. Odinson talked to Jane and Thor as if they were all best friends. She picked at her food, made by a private cook, of course. It was some sort of traditional Scandinavian herring dish that made Darcy's stomach queasy, as she still wasn't exactly up to snuff from her illness. She'd had Swedish food that Erik had made her, of course, but his food was always updated in some innovative way. He always figured out how to put a spin on things and make it better.

She decided to drink a few glasses of wine to ease the anxiety, and to make it look like she was actually consuming something and not being rude. Eventually, Loki's father put his attention on her.

He seemed to look right through her with his piercing blue eyes. "So I hear you were recently very ill," he said. "I hope that you are feeling better."

Darcy smiled at him politely. "Yessir, thank you. I'm feel much better."

_Fuck. Please let him not know about the drunken and idiotic bullshit surrounding all that._

"It must be nice having a doctor living with you," he said, gazing proudly at Jane.

"Totally. Living with Jane is awesome … we have a lot of fun together." Darcy then forced a bit of potato down her throat.

Her friend gave her an apologetic smile from across the table. "And Dr. Banner was there, too. He's actually the one that helped the most," Jane said, defecting the attention off of her.

"Oh yes," Dr. Odinson said. "Bruce has certainly been a blessing around here."

"Indeed," Loki added, knowing that his father was referring to Dr. Banner's help with Loki's addiction, feeling like he gave Bruce all the credit for his recovery, and not the person who actually recovered.

Darcy squeezed Loki's hand underneath the table, before reaching across him to grab more wine. Her sleeve then unfortunately slipped up her forearm, and Dr. Odinson of course, caught a glimpse.

"Why do you have a tattoo on your arm there?" he asked, with narrowed eyes.

Darcy looked up as if she'd just been caught red-handed in the cookie jar, and tried to laugh it off. "Oh, it's a very long and girly story."

"I quite like long stories," he said.

"Father," Loki said. "Don't."

Darcy poured herself a glass of wine, trying to decide what to do … finally thinking, what the hell.

_He doesn't like me anyway._

"No, it's okay," she said, though she was nervous, as she was never able to tell the story without tearing up, which is why she never told it.

She took a big gulp of her pinot grigio. "When I was little, I always loved to draw, and I'd see people with their sketchbooks in Central Park … so my dad would take me there. It was one of his favorite places. I always drew the angel at the Bethesda fountain, and all the flowers. I made tons of those drawings and paintings, even had made-up stories to go along with them … like, when the park closed at night, the angel came to life, and there were fairies, magical creatures, and all that little girl nonsense ... but then I forgot about them."

Darcy stared at her plate while she continued. "When I was in middle school, I was helping out in my dad's office in the summertime, and I found all of my old drawings filed away. My father always kept everything. They were kind of embarrassing, because I made them when I was like, seven years old … so I told him to get rid of them. It was mainly because I was in middle school, and everything is embarrassing in middle school, so my dad just kind of laughed … he said they were beautiful and would be worth millions some day."

She finally looked up at Jane, who nodded, meaning for her to go on. "That's because he was my dad and contractually obligated to say that kind of stuff," Darcy said. "Anyway, to prove a point, he had one of my drawings professionally framed and hung up in his office. Every time one of his clients would ask him about it, he'd tell me. He'd be like, 'see? They thought you were a new up and coming artist.' Sometimes people would even offer to buy it, because they were stupid and thought a seven year old's drawing was an actual work of art … but he'd never sell it."

She took another sip of wine. "Anyway, he always believed in me, in whatever crazy thing I wanted to do, if it made me happy. After he died, my mom took that drawing and put it in her office, but I made a more refined design from it, and had it tattooed on my arm … sort like a reminder that my dad's always right beside me, cheering me on, in his way. And it also reminds me of all the worlds I created when I was little, all the magic I believed in … because I don't want to forget about it again. Art was so much more fun back then, so much easier, mainly because I never really cared too much about whether or not it was good, or what people thought, I just did it because I loved it, and I want to hold onto that."

Darcy smiled into her glass of wine, amazed that there were not tears running down her face … so she decided to make one more confession. Or perhaps it was all the pinot grigio that loosened her tongue.

"That's one of the reason's why I always loved Loki's Narfi books so much," she said, looking up at his dad. "I wanted to make sure to be a human that still believed in magic when they grew up. I figured life would be more livable that way. Or something like that."

She shrugged. "But I'm not sure when that whole grown-up thing will happen."

Loki grabbed her hand, held it to him under the table, and squeezed so hard that it was bordering on uncomfortable.

After a strange moment of silence, she saw that Dr. Odinson had a small smile on his face, and he winked. "You know," he said. "I quite like tattoos."

Loki instantly reacted, giving a small laugh. "Since when."

His father inclined his head. "You think I don't like them simply because of that tart who had one so obviously misspelled. But what you don't know, dear boy, is that I actually have a tattoo."

Thor dropped his fork. "Father?"

Dr. Odinson raised his chin. "It's true. A very small one. Your mother and I had them done after we were married. Quite risque back then. It was all her idea, of course. I suppose they are what you would now call a 'tramp stamp'."

"Father!" both Thor and Loki said at the same time … while Darcy and Jane fought back laughter.

"What are they?" Thor asked.

Dr. Odinson shook his head slightly. "Oh, that's only for your mother and I … and I'll never tell."

Loki, looking absolutely shocked, reached for the nearest bottle of wine and began to fill a glass. "I think i'll have that drink now."

Later on in the evening, after they went to bed … there was no acrobatic sex on crazy surfaces. He made love to her, and she made love to him ... slowly and sweetly, pressing together, moving to their own rhythm in life.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

While Loki was in New York on business for a few days, Darcy decided that she was going to work her ass off. Her goal was to write at least five recipes, and then queue them, so that she'd always have something to post if she was busy. She wanted to stay ahead.

She looked back on her past few recipes and decided that she needed to throw in a healthy one. She always tried to squeeze one in every once in awhile, to appease the vegans ... so all morning she tested out sandwiches with sun-dried tomato hummus and sprouts. How do you make that interesting? Cucumber? Pickled red onion? Pesto? She was stuck. At a loss.

She noticed her phone sitting on the table, the screen lighting up.

" _Meet us for lunch at the hospital? I feel like I've been working for 48 hours straight. I require sustenance_ ," Jane texted.

" _Sure. And I can sense that you want me to bring you something from here, but it's not going so well_."

" _:-/ It's cool. I'll be happy with jello at this point_."

As soon as Darcy walked into the hospital, there was something about the clinical smell of the place that made her stomach churn. She ran to the bathroom and almost slammed into the person who happened to be walking out the door. Normally, it wouldn't have been a big deal, but since this person just so happened to be that Sig girl, everything got about 70% worse.

"Watch it," Sig said, angrily.

Darcy tilted her head.

_Really?_

She decided to go with the whole "kill them with kindness" routine, even though she felt like puking all over her, and then laughing. "I'm sorry … I just, really need to use the ladies."

Sig ignored her and walked down the hallway. Darcy tried to put it out of her mind, while she went into the cocoon of a bathroom stall and threw up everything she'd had to eat. Apparently her stomach wasn't really feeling the whole "hippie sandwich" thing either. While she rinsed her mouth out the best she could at the sink, she wondered why in the world Sig would be at the hospital. Methadone? Maybe. Narcotics Anonymous meetings? Sure.

As Darcy sat down to the table that she normally occupied with Jane, she did so with a bewildered look on her face. Steve and Thor were also there, which was nice, but she didn't feel so well.

"Hey guys." Darcy smiled weakly at everyone, as they made small talk.

"What's wrong?" Jane asked, going over some papers while stabbing at a salad.

"I'm fine."

"You're not eating?"

Darcy looked up at the lunch line and realized that nothing sounded good … actually, everything sounded awful. "Nah. My stomach isn't feeling so hot. Maybe I should go back to toast." She then looked over at the coffee station. "I might get some …"

"What?" Jane looked up.

Sig was standing in line for coffee and glancing over at Darcy, with something that could only be described as a "bitch face".

She shook her head. "I don't get why she hates me so much. Also, is she following me? I just saw her in the bathroom."

"Who?" All three said.

Darcy looked down. "Loki's ex."

Thor turned around with a disgusted look on his face. "Ignore her. She's just bitter."

"I suppose."

Jane studied Darcy's face. "What's wrong, Darcy? You look … clammy."

She laughed. "Thanks!"

"Sorry. You know what I mean," she said, looking back at her papers.

"I'll be fine. I just thought my stomach would be back to normal by now."

Jane began to ask a series of questions, as if she did it in her sleep … which of course, was actually kind of true. "Have you eaten anything that you're allergic to?"

"No."

"Have you taken all of your antibiotics? You didn't stop taking them after you felt better?"

"No. _You_ made sure that I took them."

"Have you and Loki been using back-up?"

"Huh?"

"Birth control."

"You know I take it everyday at the same time. The only one I would have missed, was when I was puking up Gatorade all day, and I made sure to take a pill as soon as I could keep everything down. You were there."

Jane finally looked up from her paper with her full attention on Darcy. "I meant back-up for the pill. Antibiotics can make birth control less effective."

"What?"

Darcy looked around to see that everyone was staring at her … Steve and Thor freezing mid-chew.

Jane then blushed, realizing that this might not be a conversation to be had in front of two dudes. "Um. Didn't you read the drug-interactions on your prescription pamphlet?"

Darcy started to panic. "I mean, sort of. I don't know, I was sick. People handed me pills and I took them … wait, that sounds bad. I know you're not supposed to drink while taking antibiotics, I've taken them before, I figured it wasn't ..." Darcy's voice became very soft, "a big deal," she said.

She felt as if tunnel vision had all of a sudden crept up on her.

_I'm always so damn careful … what …_

Jane saw that her friend was beginning to freak the fuck out and grabbed her hand. "Darcy, calm down. It's probably nothing."

"But what else could it be? I usually have an iron stomach … and the last time ..." Darcy put her face in her hands. "I was so sick."

"It's still probably a little early for nausea symptoms. Are you … late?"

Darcy looked up to see Thor and Steve still frozen and looking extremely uncomfortable, but she found herself not giving a shit, as she was starting to have trouble breathing. She shook her head.

"I can't," she said, to no one in particular. "I can't do this again." She could sense her blood pressure rising, feeling jittery, her skin prickling. She felt like she was on the verge of a panic attack, which wasn't good, as she was still very nauseous.

"Honey, calm down," she could hear her friend saying.

Tears started welling up in her eyes. She looked at Jane. "He'll leave," Darcy whispered.

"What? No! He won't."

She kept shaking her head. "He'll leave me. I can't go through it again."

Darcy abruptly stood up from the table, nearly knocking over her chair.

Steve took her hand. "Darcy," he said. "Sit down. It's going to be okay. Listen to Jane."

"No. I gotta go." She retrieved her purse from under the table and started to hightail it out of the hospital.

When she made it to the parking lot, she could hear someone calling behind her.

"Darcy!" It was Thor's booming voice.

She stopped walking but didn't turn around, as she was full-on sobbing at this point. Darcy then looked up to find him standing in front of her. He held out his long arms and she automatically stepped into them, needing to be shielded from the world. "I know my brother, Darcy," he said softly, leaning down. "You mean the world to him. He would never leave. He would never do that. And if he did … I would kill him."

It made her sob harder. "He already … has so much to worry about."

Thor bent down and picked her up, so her legs were dangling off the ground as he embraced her. "That's life," he said. "But I know him. He would support you."

She put her head on his shoulder while trying not to get tears or snot on his sweater. "It could ... drive him to something … horrible."

"Don't underestimate him. I've made that mistake. What makes you think he wouldn't be happy?"

"I don't think men are ever happy about it … they just … grin and bear it."

Thor's hand came up and cradled her head. "That's nonsense."

Darcy could feel another hand rubbing her back. "I want you to go home and calm down, okay?" Jane said, standing behind her. "I'm going to get out of here as soon as I can … and we'll take a test. And everything will be just fine."

Thor slowly put Darcy back on her feet and she wiped at her eyes. "Okay."

"Did you walk here?" Jane asked, concerned.

"Yeah."

Jane looked behind her. "Steve, can you take her home?"

"Of course."

Darcy hadn't even been aware that he was standing there, but she followed him to his car in a daze, while Jane and Thor went back inside.

The car ride to the house was of course, awkward as hell. Steve tapped his thumb on the steering wheel the whole time. "Darcy …"

"Don't."

_I'll scream if I hear his name come out of your mouth right now._

He was about to say something else, but they'd arrived at her house. Thank God for the short distance. As Darcy got out of the car, she tried to give Steve a smile. "Sorry I ruined lunch," she said.

Steve shook his head. "You didn't ruin anything, Darcy. Let me know if there's anything I can do."

"Thanks, Steve … for always being a gentleman." she said, with no inflection in her voice, before turning around and going inside.

Once Darcy got to her room, she curled up on her bed and tried to go over everything in her mind. She wasn't _late_ late, but she was supposed to start her period any day now. And the last time … she was sick … so sick, all the time. How did this happen? Well, she knew how it happened, as she and Loki had been fucking like rabbits on crack, but she was always so careful now. Why was she not more aware? Having the super-flu wasn't exactly that great of an excuse.

Darcy could feel her phone buzzing in her back pocket, and she took it out to see who it was. There was absolutely no way she could talk to Loki at that moment … he would sense something was wrong.

_Sweet baby Jesus, Erik._

"Hey Erik," she answered, trying to sound normal.

"You can't hide from me, sweetie … what's going on."

"Wait … you know?"

"Jane called me. She was worried, and she wanted me to talk to you, until she got home."

Her friend knew that the only other person on Earth she'd be cool with Jane blabbing to, was Erik.

Darcy sighed. "What … are you worried that I'm just going to drive myself to the abortion clinic?"

"No. But you tend to let your imagination run wild, and you don't even know yet."

"Well, I know that I'm fucked. _Literally_. What else could it be?"

"Plenty of things."

"Erik … he'll leave," she said, her voice cracking, the tears coming back.

"Honey, if things go that way … you're just going to have to talk to him. He's not Bucky." Darcy cried harder, hearing the name.

"I can't talk to him," she whispered into the phone, feeling manic again. "He'll leave. He'll go back to New York, London … India … just away, from me. I … can't."

"Darcy. I always knew what Bucky was. Deep down, _you_ always knew what Bucky was. And maybe he's changed now, maybe he's not … but Loki is completely different. He adores you. I see that."

"But he's got so much on his plate."

"We all have piles of shit on our plate, sweetie."

"Yeah … but … I can't lose him, Erik. He's _got_ me. He's got me in a way that Bucky never did … like no one ever did."

"And if that's true … then you have nothing to worry about."

Darcy nodded and cried and tried to believe him.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Jane found Darcy at the kitchen table in the evening, drinking a bottle of wine.

"What's this?" she said, sitting down her purse and a plastic bag containing a small cardboard box, that could potentially determine the rest of her life.

Darcy shrugged slightly. "I figured I needed to drink something … in order to take the test."

Jane looked as if she wanted to lecture, but kept her mouth shut. "Let's do this," she said.

While they waited, Jane sat on Darcy's bed with her. "You know it's still early, right? You haven't even missed a period yet," Jane said, smiling, trying to keep her calm.

"Well … they have all these technologically advanced tests now, that let you know within a week, or whatever."

"Sometimes I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

Jane fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "Because a lot of pregnancies end before you even know it, and you get your period ... and you never knew the difference. With these early tests, come a lot of chemical pregnancies."

Darcy frowned. "Chemical pregnancies?"

Her friend looked down. "Very early miscarriages, they're very common. I had one … a little while ago."

"Thor?"

"No. Before Thor."

Darcy leaned forward. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Jane shrugged. "Because it didn't feel like anything … it never had a chance to feel real."

"But still …"

"I know. We don't talk about it enough. Women, we don't talk about it … so then when it happens to us, we don't realize how common it actually is, and then heap all the blame on ourselves, because guilt is ingrained in our DNA or something. But … everything worked out, I guess."

"What would you have done?" For some reason, the test that was probably ready, back in her bathroom, was put on the back burner.

Jane shook her head. "I honestly don't know. What I do know, is that I wouldn't be able to dedicate myself to medicine like I want, if I had a kid. Being a surgeon is my dream … there's not a lot of room for babies in that equation."

"Do you still want kids?" Darcy flung herself backwards on the bed. "We used to talk about it all the time … and now it's like Voldemort. Something that must not be named, for fear of it actually happening."

Jane gave a bitter laugh. "I thought so … but there's so much they don't tell you, when you're a kid, and you dream about baby names. They say you can be anything. Do anything. But they don't tell you how hard that is for women. They don't tell you about the sacrifices, especially if you work in a cutthroat field. And there isn't one male resident that I know, who worries about that stuff … how he'll balance having kids and moving up in his career. It's just something that will happen for them, if they want it. But _we_ have to make all these hard choices. It isn't fair."

Darcy gave her a lame smile. "Thor could be a stay-at-home dad."

Jane gave a slightly-less bitter laugh. "Maybe … but there's no way he could do that and play football. We might not even live in the same city this time next year, Darcy. I have to go where a hospital takes me, and Thor might be going back to Minnesota, or he might go somewhere else. He'll have to divide his time. I don't see how it would work … and I wouldn't have nannies raising my kids."

"He can't play football forever. And shit, isn't he already an old man by NFL standards?"

Jane shrugged. "Maybe. Everything is a big maybe, Darcy. Honestly, you and Loki are lucky. He has a career where he's not stuck in an office all day … sure he's busy, but he can work at home. And you can do the same if you want. To be a surgeon, I kind of have to go where the surgeries are."

Darcy sat back up, feeling a little bad about her meltdown, after hearing Jane's story. "I don't understand how anyone does it."

"Me neither, but people do."

She took her friend's hand. "Jane. It might be the wine … or I might be freaking out, but thanks for being my true love. Men might be total assholes and they might leave, but I know you'll never leave me. And I'll never leave you."

Jane squeezed back. "Same here … but at the end of the day, I think we found a pair of good ones. They're flawed beyond belief, but they're the good ones, Darcy."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Darcy woke early in the morning and searched for her phone, but then realized she must have left it on the kitchen table the night before. She looked over to see Jane still sleeping next to her, and pulled the quilt over to cover her shoulders.

She needed to check her email, so she reached over to the bedside table for her laptop. As soon as she brought it up, Darcy was bombarded with tons of new comment-alerts for her blog, which was strange, since she hadn't posted anything in awhile. She clicked on a few and started reading.

" _You and Thor Odinson? YOU GO, GIRL!"_

" _No wonder you haven't updated in weeks … I wouldn't either, LOL!_

Darcy was very confused, so she brought up a link that someone had left her.

"HOLY FUCKING SHITBALLS MOTHERFUCKER!"

Jane shot up in bed. "WHAT? Who's crashing?!"

Darcy was staring at her screen in shock, with Jane squinting behind her, still half-asleep.

It was a gossip site … and there, in the center, was a picture of Darcy and Thor in the hospital parking lot from the day before, in what looked like a very compromising and intimate embrace. The headline read, " _Thor Odinson's real reason for sitting the season out … a new lady love?_ "

Thor had only been comforting her while she was crying and freaking out, but the photo made it look like they'd been _making_ out.

Darcy's stomach starting doing somersaults, and she felt like she was going to be sick all over again.

When Jane's eyes finally began to focus, she realized what she was looking at. "Darcy. Who took that picture?"

"I'm so fucked."

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I want to mention a big thanks to Tumblr pals Treesandseas and Leftylain for talking me through this one. I've battled with it for awhile. Y'all talked me off a ledge, seriously. And a little nod to Leoba there, I hope you caught it ;-)
> 
> Also, since Darcy's tattoo is inspired by Verity Willis from the comic "Loki: Agent of Asgard" (who I'll continue to believe was inspired by Miss Darcy Lewis herself), I have to say that I tried to go off of what Lee Garbett created there. His illustrations are absolutely beautiful, and I didn't want to change that. Verity appears to have ladies, angels, and roses as her tattoos, so I built the story around that.
> 
> I know that Loki's POV's have been difficult for me in the past, but fear not. I've decided to go around that by making the next chapter shorter, so I won't leave you with a cliffhanger for long.
> 
> Up next: Loki goes to NYC and hangs out with Erik.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Loki and Erik hang out and become BFFs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank all of you wonderful people for the amazing reception over that last chapter. And thank you for the open discussion, I greatly appreciate it. You guys are the best. I also want to thank Lefty again for her amazing input on this particular chapter, as it's one of my more serious ones in tone, and y'all know that going darker isn't normally my thing. 
> 
> Also, I know I dropped off the face of the planet (or the internet) for a minute. I try to respond to every comment, but Easter weekend happened and I had family in town. I spent about 5 days being a tour guide and trying to convince my sister-in-law to try crawfish ;-) But I'm finally back in the flow.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

_My life is never this good._

Loki didn't want to be in New York for one minute longer than he had to. He'd already had the meeting with his publisher, which had gone much smoother than he thought it would. They only wanted him to write a new preface for Narfi, as his newer older self, Loki Odinson … and not Kid Loki, of the Laufeyson brand. The thing that surprised him though, was their insistence that things go as planned from the beginning … that his memoir about heroin abuse should stay on course, and not be released after the children's movie. Apparently the public liked a good comeback story … but the whole thing just left him skeptical.

_My life is never this good._

It was a mantra that followed him around. He had inked a deal that would turn the first Narfi book into a movie, with hopes that the other two would be made as well. He had his memoir still on track, something that he felt very proud of, and wasn't even nervous about putting it out there, after the wild popularity of _Utter_ _Brilliance_. Usually, sophomore novels following that kind of a hit fizzled … but he didn't care. Technically, it was his fifth book, and that took the pressure off of the need for another success, for some odd reason. And of course, he also had Darcy … the unexpected beautiful person that walked into his life … and she _loved him_. And with her came all these curious new acquaintances and friendships. Her world was something he found himself loving being a part of. It was filled with people who were just so genuine … non judgemental. He liked being part of a couple. He did things like go to lunch with Thor and Jane, _as a couple_ … and he enjoyed it. All very strange. Very alarming.

_My life is never this good._

Loki found himself wandering around Manhattan on Friday evening, not sure about what to do. His apartment was surprisingly depressing without his pets, and since he hadn't been living there, only hiring someone to look after it and clean every once in awhile, it didn't have the feeling that usually made a home. Sleeping in a bed without Darcy just seemed empty, as he'd gotten quite used to lying next to her every night … and being alone in his room wasn't exactly fun. It was so unlike him, as he'd always valued his privacy and solitary experience, even when he was in a relationship. He was never one to stick around, always preferring to leave after sex, which is why he almost never invited women over to his place. They liked to stay, and he liked for them to leave. But ever since that first night with Darcy, nodding off with his trousers around his knees, he couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

_My life is never this good._

So perhaps it was these thoughts of Darcy and her world, that led him to Erik's restaurant. It was everything he expected … sleek, minimal, softly lit, and filled with trendy people who were out simply to be seen.

Loki went up to the hostess and asked if the chef was in that evening. The woman tore herself from her reservations with a look that said, "you simply must be joking, who the hell are you"? But then he saw him out of the corner of his eye, in his chef whites, talking to a couple at the bar. Erik glanced up and smiled, excusing himself, and walked over. He looked perfect, like he hadn't cooked a thing all day … which of course, was probably the case.

Loki gave the hostess a smug "I told you so" grin.

"Loki … as I live and breath. Darcy said you would be in town this weekend. How's she doing?"

"Much better, thank you."

Erik looked over to the hostess. "Have the family table set up for us, will you?" He then ushered Loki over to what looked like an exclusive table by the open kitchen, where you could see the cooks work … yet it wasn't in the way of the hustle and bustle of the servers. They sat down and almost immediately, place settings appeared, as well as a very expensive bottle of cabernet. Loki was beginning to like knowing famous chefs.

Erik poured glasses of wine. "I'm glad you stopped by. Are you hungry?"

Loki flashed a grin. "Of course."

"A chef's tasting then."

"I am in your hands."

Erik winked. "I always like the sound of that."

As course after course of some of the best and most strange-looking food Loki had ever eaten, was sent to the table, and wine had been consumed … Erik began asking questions.

"So to what do I owe the pleasure of your company, Loki? Is there anything I can do for you?"

He set his fork down. "Em. Yes, actually. I was hoping you could help me with something I'd like to do for Darcy."

Erik laughed. "You too?"

Loki frowned. "What do you mean, 'you too'?"

He flinched. "Oops, sorry. Blame it on the wine. Nevermind."

"Who is doing something for Darcy?"

Erik smiled and shook his head. "No, not for Darcy … for Jane. Thor wanted me to help him do something for Jane."

Loki sat back, intrigued. "What is it?"

He shrugged. "I can trust you, right?"

Loki just raised an eyebrow.

"Sure I can," he said, sardonically. "Anyway. It's why I'm catering your father's holiday event. Normally, I would never do something like that. I am not a caterer. I left that shit behind years ago. But since it's for Jane … I figured I should help one of my best girls … and Thor is just so clueless. If I left things up to him, he'd decorate the party with red and green carnations."

Loki peered at him. "So that's why you're helping out Thor and my father? You realize that Darcy has been a bit upset about everyone being involved with the old bastard … she's felt left out."

Erik shook his head. "I know, but I can't tell her the reason why … she's not the best with these kinds of secrets, she'll let on to Jane. They're too close."

"Let on what?"

Erik grinned and poured more wine. "Oh dear lord, you really don't know, you do?"

Loki shook his head.

Erik sighed. "I'm such a blabbermouth … but I'm just a sucker for a pretty face. Don't say anything, but Thor is going to ask Jane to marry him. At the party."

He blinked. "Oh."

Erik leaned over and feigned seriousness. "And how does that make you feel?"

Loki gave a slight shrug. "Em. Fine … I suppose. I am happy for him. For _them_ , of course. It's just a bit … sudden?"

Erik nodded. "I'm not sure that an actual wedding will happen for awhile, but I think he just wants to nail that down, if you know what I mean. With him possibly moving to a different city, for football."

"Of course." Loki shook his head out. "Forgive me, it's just that Thor and commitment are never usually spoken in the same sentence."

"I'm sure he realizes that he's never going to do any better. I mean, Jane is as gorgeous as any supermodel … plus she's brilliant. And a total peach. They don't make em' like that anymore."

"Yes. He lucked out with that one, it's quite true."

Erik looked at him thoughtfully. "And Darcy too … both my girls are very special. I could not part with them, to anyone less worthy. So is there to be another engagement as well? Is that why you need my help? A double wedding? It's all getting so _Pride and Prejudice_ up in here."

Loki let the shock fade from his face. "Oh, em, no. Not quite … do you think? I mean …"

Erik seemed to read his mind. "Do I think Darcy will be expecting a ring now that Jane is getting one?"

He only nodded.

"No. She's not like that. She's not into all that traditional shit… not like Jane. You don't have anything to worry about."

"It's not that I'm worried … I'm just …"

"Not ready?"

"I suppose I am still getting used to the idea of being … well, for lack of a better word, happy. I don't wish to muck things up."

"That's understandable."

Loki took a sip of wine and looked up at Erik. "But I am planning on this being _it_ … for us. I am planning for Darcy to be there, for all of it, for everything. Which is why I would like your help in something."

He smiled. "Shoot."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Saturday was a fuzzy blur, as he'd stayed out with Erik the previous evening for far too long. He slept into the afternoon, and when he opened his eyes, noticed that his surroundings were a bit unfamiliar. Loki panicked at first, as that hadn't happened to him in a very long time … but then Erik strutted into the living room carrying coffee.

_I slept on Erik's couch?_

_Oh … right._

"You alright there?"

Loki wiped at his eyes. "Yes, thank you. It's just been awhile since I've had that much wine."

"Apparently," Erik grinned. "Did you have anymore meetings today?"

He sat up, taking the offered coffee. "No, but I wanted to meet with Gianna."

"Ah. About your little project?"

Loki nodded, holding his head.

"Alright. First, a stop at your place for a shower, Sleeping Beauty … then we'll head over to Brooklyn."

On the cab ride over, Erik's mood seemed to change quite drastically, all stemming from a text he received. He'd been joking around all afternoon, and then all of a sudden, looked out the window with a frown, for the rest of the trip.

As soon as they got to Gianna's house, Erik went off to another room and talked on the phone for what seemed like hours, leaving Loki with Darcy's mother … and Esteban. Needless to say, Gianna was very excited to see them, and gave Loki the full tour of Darcy's childhood …even looking up old photos and school projects to show to him. In the back of his mind, Loki hoped that she wouldn't be upset about looking at everything without her.

After a while, Gianna sat him down at her kitchen table and began to bring him food. She sat fruits, cheeses, breads, and cured meats in front of him.

"Eat," she insisted, as she opened a bottle of wine.

_Eating and drinking wine … yes, Darcy's world is something I could get used to._

_But … my life is never this good._

He looked around the kitchen that Darcy loved so much. Everything was state of the art, yet still held a very rustic feel. There was exposed brick along one wall, and then another was covered in chalkboard paint … where elaborate drawings of Roman landmarks had been sketched. He wondered if Darcy had done them, and he was about to ask, when Erik finally walked into the room.

He sat down at the table with a frown on his face, and poured himself a glass of wine.

Loki narrowed his eyes at him. "Is something wrong?"

He looked up, as if he just remembered there were other people in the room. "Oh no, I'm fine."

"Liar," Gianna said, raising a brow.

Erik shook his head. "Just some boy trouble."

She elbowed him. "You? I don't believe it."

He grinned at her, seeming to relax. "Yes, even me … it's shocking, I know."

Loki finished the plate he was eating and rose up from the table. "Thank you so much, but I think we should be going … I'd like to get back to my apartment and call Darcy."

Erik quickly stood as well. "Actually, I was wondering if you'd do me a favor."

"What's that?"

He acted as though he needed to come up with something quickly … his eyes looking every which way. "I need you to help me make someone jealous. I mean, look at you, you'll be perfect."

Loki frowned.

"Hey, you said that you'd return the favor …"

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. But I'd like to call Darcy first … I haven't gotten a text back from her in awhile."

After saying their goodbyes and getting on the subway for the journey back to Manhattan, Erik took to staring at him. Loki dealt with his obvious discomfort by taking a very heated interest in his phone, even though he was barely getting reception. Finally, Erik spoke. "Darcy's out with Jane … so you might not get ahold of her."

He looked up, surprised. "Have you talked to her?"

Erik shook his head. "I talked to Jane earlier … she mentioned a girls night, and then she sent me a snapchat of a bottle of wine."

"Ah," Loki shrugged. "Well … I don't want to interrupt girls night."

He gave a half-smile. "You're very decent, you know that?"

Loki laughed. "I'm not sure I've ever been called that."

"Well let's hope that you start hearing it much more often," he said, a bit cryptically.

Erik then put an end to the conversation by suddenly becoming engrossed in his phone as well, while Loki looked at him with suspicion.

For the rest of the evening, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that Erik was trying to distract him … as they never stayed in one place too long, and he was never left alone. It was all very peculiar … and not once did Loki meet the supposed lad that he was supposed to help make jealous. Erik kept insisting that the phantom would-be lover was hanging out in various crowds at clubs, but Loki wasn't totally buying it. You couldn't trick a trickster … even a reformed one.

Finally, at a relaxed gay bar, things seemed to settle down. They sat while Loki slowly drank wine and Erik drank his akvavit straight. "So how do you feel about kids?" Erik asked, out of the blue.

Loki was confused. "Why?"

Erik played with his napkin, ripping it up into pieces. "Oh … I've just been thinking about having them. You know, I am getting older. Tick tock, tick tock, they say."

"Wouldn't you want a partner for that?"

Erik smiled. "Probably. I should get on that too … but how do you feel about it?"

Loki shrugged. "I haven't given it much thought lately. I've been living one day at a time for awhile now, planning too far ahead in the future seemed irresponsible."

"Why irresponsible?"

"I don't want to set goals for myself that I may not achieve … I need smaller ones, small steps, to feel like I'm on the right track."

Erik nodded. "That makes sense. So you think of kids as a goal?"

"I suppose … eventually."

"Hm."

"How would you do it?"

"Do what?"

Loki looked at him like he'd just sprouted two heads. " _Children_ … isn't that what is on your mind?"

"Oh! Yeah." Erik thought for a second. "I'd adopt. There's so many kids that need love out there."

Loki nodded, curious. "You wouldn't want them to be your own?"

"They would be my own."

"You know what I mean."

Erik frowned. "I do … but it's not like I could go the normal route and get a girl knocked up, because, like, ew. The best I could do, if I wanted to spread my seed, or whatever … is to hire a surrogate. I know that's important to a lot of people, and I respect that. But for me, I feel like there's so many kids out there that need good homes. And I like the idea of training an army of future science chefs."

"Of course." Loki was a bit caught off guard, having never actually thought about what it must be like if you wanted to have a child with another man. Of course it wouldn't be as easy as the traditional way. But what was traditional these days?

He noticed Erik looking at his phone with a frown.

"Have you heard from Jane?"

"No … they probably passed out with their phones not on them."

Loki grinned. "You know them pretty well, don't you."

He took a rather large sip of his drink and grimaced. "Oh yeah, they complete me."

"You're quite funny."

"I try. It's getting late … you want to go back to my place? Or to your apartment."

Loki thought about his lonely New York bed, and something told him that Erik's couch would be more comfortable … and it was only a few blocks away, after all. He smiled. "We can go to yours … but are you trying to get in my trousers?" _Something_ was going on … and he was itching to find out what that was exactly.

Erik laughed. "I'm close with Darcy … but I'm not _that_ close. Besides … I do have ulterior motives. What time is your flight tomorrow?"

"It's at 2."

"I'm going to be on that plane with you … to um, start the holiday planning."

"Hm. Very well."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Loki woke up very early to his phone ringing incessantly. He fumbled around for it and squinted at the screen. Coulson.

"Coulson, what on Earth?"

"I'm at your apartment. Where are you?"

"I'm at Erik Selvig's apartment …" _click_.

And that was it … the call must have dropped. Loki shrugged and checked his messages … no texts yet from Darcy, which was odd. He went ahead and checked his email while he was at it, before trying to go back to sleep … if Coulson would leave him alone.

He scrolled through the standard everyday advertisements and newsletters that he really should unsubscribe from, but then landed on an unfamiliar address. It didn't look like typical spam, but it said, " _you need to see this_ " written in the subject line. He clicked, and for a few seconds, it was as if the whole world had gone white. A white-out. A boom.

He blinked as his eyes tried to register what he was looking at, as the tiny messages sent from them were not in sync with his brain.

_Darcy. Thor. A gossip site. His arms are around her, picking her up … her face in his neck, he's cradling her head._

"Thor Odinson's real reason for sitting the season out … a new lady love?"

_None of this makes sense._

_Darcy is loyal. Loyal to both me and Jane._

_Doesn't make sense._

_My life is never this good …_

_That makes sense._

_The whole world could be looking at this picture. The whole world._

_Where is this from?_

Loki blew the picture up with his fingers and tried to figure out the background.

_University hospital. Why would Thor and Darcy be at the hospital?_

_Jane._

_Where is Jane?_

_Why hasn't she called? Why hasn't she texted? Does she know about this?_

Loki sat on the couch for a few minutes in shock, not sure what to do next.

_Erik is still asleep. Does he know about this? Is this why he was acting so strange yesterday?_

A knock on the door jarred him from his thoughts.

"Loki, it's Phil!" he could hear, muffled by the door.

_How did he get through the doorman? Oh, wait ... it's Phil. He's everywhere._

He got up in a daze, running his hand through his hair, and unlocked the door to find Coulson.

Phil looked tired. "You know."

Loki shrugged. "I got an email."

"It's not what it looks like."

He walked over to a chair and sat down. "I assumed so."

"Did you?"

"It's not like them," he said, quietly. "It's not like _Darcy_ ," he amended.

Phil walked over to the coffee table and sat across from him. "I need you to look at something … I was alerted to it in the middle of the night, and I haven't said anything until now, because I wanted to get the full story first. The picture was taken yesterday afternoon."

Coulson handed Loki a tablet that had a picture brought up. It was of the same photo as the one on the gossip site, only it wasn't cropped like the other one obviously was. Panned back, you could see Jane standing behind Thor and Darcy, with her hand on her friend's shoulder, as if she was trying to aid in her comfort. They were consoling her … there was no betrayal. It wasn't an intimate embrace. It was just a hug between friends.

Erik wandered in, rubbing his eyes. "Loki … who was at the …" He looked over and saw Phil.

Loki stood, not quite angry yet, but getting there. "Do you know anything about this?" He walked over and shoved the tablet into Erik's hands.

His eyes became the size of saucers.

_Obviously not._

"Who took this?" Erik asked.

Phil only went over and took the tablet back from him, not answering. "I tried to contact Thor before coming over here, but he's obviously still asleep … and even though I've asked him not to, he turns the sound off on his phone every night, so no amount of calling him is going to get him to answer … which leads me to you," he looked up at Darcy's friend. "Do you have any idea what is going on in this picture? I need to know, obviously, because I need to clean this up now … before this gets too far."

Erik shook his head, scowling. "But it's not like he's Brad Pitt stepping out on Angie … he's a football player, how much damage control do you need to do?"

"You don't follow gossip sites, do you?"

"No, I follow food trends and the latest in glassware. I don't care about what Kardashians do."

"Right. Well … with the last few high-profile actresses that Thor dated, he got on their radar ... and then he was photographed with some, well, they were stippers … he was caught in the act, so to say. He hasn't been fodder for these sites in awhile, but it looks like he's back in business … and this is bad, as I've just started to get his reputation back on track."

Loki turned to Phil, enraged. "I don't give a fuck about poor Thor's reputation from being caught with his ears between some stripper's thighs. There is obviously something wrong here … do you not care about _that?!_ "

He looked back at Erik. "And you know _exactly_ what is going on here, so start talking. I followed you around yesterday on your little ' _let's distract Loki_ ' quest. I found it almost charming and cute … but I am done with your misdirection. Talk. _Now!_ "

Erik chewed on his lip. "I can't."

"YOU CAN'T?" His voice was raised far beyond what it had been in years.

Loki had had enough. He walked over to get his phone off the coffee table to call Darcy.

"She's not going to answer … I've already tried," Erik said, quietly.

He froze. "Is she ... avoiding me?"

Erik shook his head. "No. If she is, then she's avoiding everyone."

"Is Jane answering her phone? Why is everyone without their damn phone?!"

"Honey, it's 6 in the morning on a Sunday … no one is up. And from what I understood last night, the girls were knee deep in a bottle of wine. They probably fell asleep among empty glasses and tissues … and they won't be getting up anytime soon. You know Darcy … she'll sleep until noon or later, on a Sunday."

Phil spoke up again. "I really need to know the whole story, Mr. Selvig."

"I'm sorry, but I can't. I really like you Loki, but a decade of friendship with those girls trumps pretty much anything else."

Loki felt like he was going to explode.

Erik walked over and put his hand on his shoulder. "Listen … what I can do, is get us back in town earlier. I'll make a few calls, and we'll be on the first plane out of here, alright? And you can start guessing what's going on … and I might just nod my head, if you're on track. How does that sound?"

Loki took a deep breath and nodded slowly, as Erik got on his phone to start making arrangements.

He walked over to the kitchen area, grabbing onto the sleek marble counter, as he felt like he was either going to pass out or start throwing things.

"Who took the picture?" he asked Coulson, quietly. Almost too quietly.

Phil looked down, not wanting to say anything, but he also knew that being in the dark was starting to drive Loki batshit crazy. "Everything points to Sig."

Loki's grip on the counter was beginning to make his knuckles go white. "How much?"

Coulson sighed. "A photo like that? Outing a celebrity's potential secret … and a cheating scandal to boot? Easily a few thousand dollars."

He bent his head. "Heroin. She sold Darcy out for heroin."

"You don't think this was for you?"

"Not entirely," he said through his teeth. "She could have just sent me the picture … this was for money. She's using again."

_My life is never this good ..._

Loki suddenly stood up straight and grabbed the nearest breakable object … some garish decorative dish filled with colored pebbles and candles. He threw it against the wall, making glass shatter and tiny rocks bounce and scatter across the floor. Neither Phil or Erik flinched, but looked on in sympathy.

"I'm going to kill her."

Phil walked up to Loki and put his hands on his shoulders. "Please don't. It's going to be alright. You and your brother hired me for a reason … let me do my job."

He nodded, though his blood pressure was rising … he was about to lose it. "I need to talk to Bruce."

"I'll get him." Phil then rang up Banner, as Loki sat on the floor with his head in his hands.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

After being talked down by Bruce, Loki sat on Erik's couch, staring off into space. He felt a little better … but not by much. Coulson had left to run by Loki's apartment to pick up his carry-on, before swinging back and taking them to the airport.

When Erik came back into the living room from packing a bag, Loki looked up at the man and began firing off scenarios.

"Did someone die?"

He sat down beside him and shook his head. "Nope."

"Terminal illness?"

"Negative."

"Something with grad school?"

"No. All good there."

"Bucky?"

"Oh, hell no." Erik then raised an eyebrow and put his index finger to his lips. "Well …"

Loki inclined his head. "Bucky."

Erik held up his hands. "It honestly has nothing to do with Bucky."

Loki's eyes darted around the room, trying to figure it out.

Then everything came into focus … Bucky. Of course.

"She's pregnant," he said, barely a whisper.

Erik shrugged. "I don't know."

Loki scowled. "What do you mean, you don't know … isn't that why you were asking me about children last night? Dear gods, you knew about this last night! How do you know about this, and I don't?" He leaned forward and put his head in his hands … as he was starting to get very angry again.

Erik stood. "Listen. You guessed, so I'm going to explain a few things to you. I didn't say anything last night because like I said, a decade of friendship. Also, I don't even really know if she is, as I haven't heard anything since yesterday. She hadn't taken a test yet when I found out. And I'm only letting you in on this now, because of the absolute mess that photo has created. I don't want you to hurt yourself, and neither would Darcy."

Loki gave a bitter laugh. "Hurt _myself_."

"Please, don't be angry with her. Jane called me because Darcy was in the middle of a panic attack."

He sat up straight. "Why wouldn't she call me? Why you? Why Jane?"

A look of worry washed across Erik's face. "Because she's afraid that you will leave her. Remember Bucky?"

Loki ran his hands through his hair again. "Sonofabitch."

"Yeah. Sonofabitch. He seriously fucked with her head, Loki. She thinks everyone will eventually leave. She lost two of the most important men in her life, in the span of a few weeks, and all of that was wrapped up in one of the most excruciating experiences she's ever had."

He shook his head and looked Erik in the eyes. "I would never leave her."

Erik sat back down and gave a sad little smile. "Like I said, you're a good one. A decent one. There's only so few of us out there. Obviously she's scared shitless, so we need to get back to Asgardia, and you need to let Darcy know that you'd never leave … and I promise you, after this clusterfuck? She'll never doubt again."

Loki nodded, but his mind automatically went to somewhere strange. "You said she's pregnant … so then why in the world was she drinking wine with Jane?"

Erik held up his hands. "I said she _might_ be. It was just a bit of that misdirection you were talking about. Sorry. I tried. I've turned out to be quite the blabbermouth this weekend. I apparently need to sit in a corner and think about what I've done."

"How did this happen?"

"Weren't you there?"

Loki rolled his eyes. "Yes, but … she's so diligent."

Erik sighed. "Here I go blabbing again … something having to do with antibiotics and birth control. I don't know. I've never dated anyone with a uterus before. Not intentionally, anyway."

He stared off into space again. "I am sorry about your dish," he said, softly.

Erik patted him on the back. "It's fine, Loki. I never liked it much anyway. I'll just give Magda a nice bonus for cleaning it up ... it's nothing she hasn't seen before."

As Loki nodded, he noticed that his phone, still lying on the coffee table, was lighting up. Erik glanced over. "Coulson's back … as is our ride to the airport. Let's get out of here."

Without hesitation, Loki got up and walked out the door.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

It was still early when they arrived at the house, barely even 9 o'clock. The girls could've quite possibly, still been asleep, but Loki didn't care. He opened the door with his key and ran inside, finding Darcy pacing around the kitchen, with Jane sitting at the table with her laptop.

Darcy froze and looked up at him. She looked as if she'd been crying for days and her hair was wild, but she was somehow still the most stunning woman he'd ever seen.

"Loki," she said, obviously frightened. "It's not … it's not what …"

He immediately walked up to her, and put his arms around her, crushing her against him. "I know, darling … I know."

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Erik tugging Jane on the arm, and urging her into another room.

Darcy began to sob, quite thoroughly breaking apart. "I … missed you. So much. Please … stay."

He brushed hair from her face and looked down at her. "I'm not going anywhere … I'm not going _anywhere_."

When she began to cry harder, as if every emotion she'd been bottling up for years, was finally coming to the surface, he picked her up and began to carry her upstairs to their room.

"I'm not going anywhere," he whispered again.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> XXXXX
> 
> Next up: Darcy does some 'splaining, and then later ... Avengers assemble ;-) A few more chapters to go.
> 
> I know that music is important to many of you, and some of you like to listen to your own playlists while writing. I usually don't write about what I'm listening to, because my music taste is usually all over the place, but for this particular chapter, I exclusively listened to Low Roar. Spotify him, he's absolutely amazing and great for background music while writing, especially for the serious stuff.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for being patient with this one. Life, man ... I planned to get this up a lot sooner, but life kinda laughed at my plans there for a second.
> 
> But don't worry, I promise I would never abandon this story. It means a bit too much to me to leave it hanging. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy ...

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

_I never thought that I would be in a position where I would have to publicly defend myself from a gossip site, but then again, I never thought a lot of things would happen. So here we are._

_Thor Odinson is a friend of mine. I would say that he was only a friend, but that isn't exactly true. He is also in a serious relationship with my best friend, and he is the brother of my boyfriend. So lately, he is more like family, as my friends and I have always been one big family … and since he and Loki came into our lives, they are very much a part of it now._

_The picture that ended up on all the gossip sites was taken completely out of context. Someone took a photograph while I was upset, and must have sold it. Thor simply gave me a hug. That was it. His girlfriend (my best friend) was standing right behind me. There is no scandal. There is nothing. It is a non-issue. It must have been a seriously slow news day._

_..._

Darcy turned the laptop around to show Jane what she'd typed up, as she wanted to post it on her blog immediately. She then got up and started to pace around the kitchen, as she couldn't stop fidgeting.

"What do you think?" she asked her friend.

They were both still in pajamas, still shocked, and still trying to figure out what the fuck to do about the potential mess the damn photo had created.

Jane scanned the statement and looked up. "It's good, Darcy. But I think you should wait until we can get ahold of Thor. He'll be waking up soon. I think this is something Coulson should probably deal with."

Darcy shook her head. "Right. 'Special Agent Coulson'. I just feel like I have to do _something_ before Loki finds out about this … like, hopefully he's still asleep on Erik's couch. He's seriously on Erik's couch?"

Jane picked up her phone and scrolled through all of Erik's messages.

_Erik: Not sure how long I can do this for, he already knows something is up. He's not an idiot. And why did you just snapchat me a bottle of wine?_

_Jane: It's what Darcy was drinking in order to take her pregnancy test. This is bad._

_Erik: I doubt it would do any damage, any future child of hers will be a wine-drinker. Start em early, that's what I say._

_Jane: I'm not even going to respond to that._

_Erik: Okay. Eagle 1 and Eagle 2 are both hanging out at the club. Have concocted a plan. Distraction. Eagle 2 wanted to call Lewis, but Eagle 1 talked him out of it by means of stealth ninja tactics._

_Jane: Omg. Eagle 1 and Eagle 2?_

_Erik: Code names, Foster. Code names. If you're making me do this, I'm going to do it my way._

_Jane: I can't even …_

_Erik: Plan for distraction still working, any word on the status of possible future Eaglet?_

_Erik: Foster?_

_Erik: Man down?_

_Erik: It's gone dark out there. I see that it's up to only me now._

_Erik: At Axis with Eagle 2 … you know that cute bartender? Noh-Varr? Strange name, I know, but he's gonna be so jealz._

_Erik: Eagle 2 safely on Eagle 1's couch. Asleep. So far so good. You owe me, Foster. That was no easy mission._

Jane shook her head at the messages she missed. "Yeah, the last I heard, he was on Erik's couch."

Darcy continued pacing. "I feel bad for putting Erik through all that. I freaked out and now look at this mess."

"I wouldn't worry too much … Loki helped him make that Noh-Varr guy jealous."

"Noh-Varr? Isn't he straight?"

Jane shrugged. "I think he's whatever he wants to be."

The girls froze as they heard the front door open. "It's either Thor or Loki," Jane whispered heatedly. "They're the only ones with keys … either that, or you grab your knife!"

Darcy glanced at her chef's knife on the cutting board, but then heard loud footsteps, and all of a sudden Loki and Erik were in the kitchen, both looking as if they'd had a very rough morning, frowns on their faces.

Her heart instantly tried to beat its way out of her chest, and heat started to prickle along every inch of her skin. "Loki," she stammered, "It's not … it's not what …"

Loki's features instantly softened. His long legs took two steps and he was right in front of her, pulling her into his arms. "I know, darling … I know."

Darcy felt her arms instantly wrap around him as well, as if she was having an out-of-body experience, not sure what was actually happening, though she knew she was crying. "I … missed you. So much. Please … stay."

_Is he a phantom? A specter?_

But she could feel his presence. His scent, the warmth of his body.

Loki brushed hair from her forehead so he could see her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere … I'm not going _anywhere_."

That's when she fell apart.

Then she felt herself being lifted and carried.

_So everything is going to be okay?_

"I'm not going anywhere," he whispered again.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Loki set Darcy on the bed, wiping away at used tissues from the previous evening.

He then knelt in front of her on the floor, and reached up to wipe tears off her cheek with his thumb. When he saw that wouldn't be enough, he reached over to the tissue box on the nightstand and handed her a new one.

"Shhh. It's alright."

Embarrassed that she couldn't stop crying, Darcy only nodded in thanks and wiped at her eyes, trying to calm down. But it was as if he was an illusion.

_Is he really here?_

And the words he'd said … _I'm not going anywhere?_

She tried taking his hand, thinking that it would pass right through, as if he wasn't really there.

_How could he be here so fast?_

But she caught his hand. It was solid. He was actually there. Right in front of her.

He looked up, concern in his eyes. Confusion. Relief. _Love?_ "Darcy, he said, his voice clear and steady. "Surely, you must know. I would never leave you. You know that, right?"

She shook her head and frowned, trying to find her voice. "Wait … you came home early because of the picture, right? … but you know about the other thing? Did Erik tell you?"

Loki bit his lip, and it was obvious that he was warring with his emotions. "He tried his best, but in the end, he failed … as all eventually will, in a battle of wits … with me."

Darcy rolled her eyes. _Really?_

"I crush you in a battle of wits daily," she said, coming back to herself a bit.

"You do … why else do you think I stick around? You are simply one of a kind."

She smiled in spite of herself. At least his attempt at being funny and arrogant had gotten her to stop crying.

"Why did you not tell me?" he asked, when she finally calmed down … and she knew that he was trying to keep the anger and hurt out of his voice.

She sighed. "Because there's nothing to tell." Darcy got off the bed and went over to her chest of drawers, where on top lay a pregnancy test. She walked back over and handed it to him.

He looked at it like it was an alien object. "I don't understand what any of this means," he said.

"It's negative." She then took it from him and tossed it in her mini trash bin.

Loki looked up at her with an unreadable expression on his face. "You're not?"

Darcy shook her head, then started pacing around her room, like she had in the kitchen. Loki sat on her bed and listened while words tumbled out of her mouth.

"See? This is all my fault. I freaked out yesterday because I started puking again, and Jane was like … 'oh hey, did you use condoms with your birth control while on antibiotics?' Like, right in front of _Thor and Steve!_ I mean, she didn't mean to, she was just firing off doctor questions, like she does everyday in her sleep … but then I was like, _fuck_ … that must be it! What else could it be?" Darcy stopped pacing for a second and looked at him. "I was so incredibly sick the last time, Loki … you have no idea. So I went into panic attack-mode. Honestly … I barely even remember it all. It's like it was a dream."

She then started waving her hands in front of her, perhaps becoming a bit manic. "And it was _sprouts!_ Motherfucking sprouts!"

"Sprouts?" Loki looked on in confusion.

"Yes! Sprouts!" she said, and started pacing yet again. "I was working on recipes and made the stupid decision to include some dumb hummus sandwich with sprouts, for the fucking vegans! Because I get emails all the time like, WHAT ABOUT THE VEGANS … WON'T SOMEONE THINK OF THE VEGANS … but come to find, apparently sprouts are like, one of the most common things that causes food poisoning. Jane found out that there were like, five other hippies in the ER yesterday, vomiting their guts out over buying sprouts from the same grocery store. So all this shitstorm was over fucking sprouts! Do you know what I'm never eating again? Sprouts! That's what. They taste like grass anyway! And now everyone thinks that me and Thor were making out in the hospital parking lot because I had a panic attack ... and I've basically just ruined everything."

She finally slowed down and looked at him. "This is all my fault. If I wouldn't have freaked out over nothing, like Jane told me in the first place … none of this clusterfuck would have happened."

Loki reached out his hand to her and she took it. "It's not your fault," he said. "Not in the least. But may I ask, why did you feel as if you couldn't talk to me?"

Darcy took a few steps and sat on the bed next to him. She bent her head and spoke softly. "All I could think of … over and over again … was that you would leave. That it would be too much for you to deal with. You'd be gone … halfway around the world … away from me." Tears started to well back up in her eyes. "I can't …"

Loki cut her off, and gently took her by the chin, so that she would turn and look at him. "Stop. I would never do such a thing. Get that out of your head."

Darcy looked at him, surprised at his words, at the truth she saw in his eyes, and nodded.

He took his hand away, seeming to be satisfied with making his point.

She shrugged. "Plus, if it ended up being positive … it's not exactly something you tell a person over the phone."

"No," he said. "If we're ever in a similar situation again, I do not care. Call me. Text me. Use astral projection, anything … you should not have to deal with such a thing by yourself."

Darcy blinked over at him. "Who are you?" she asked, mystified.

He stuck out his chin. "I'll tell you who I'm not. I'm not Bucky Barnes."

She closed her eyes. "I know."

"Do you?"

"Yes. I always have. It's just hard … to trust, when you've been …"

"Burned? Torn apart? Yes, I know. I'm working on it too. But can we try to put all that to rest?"

Darcy smiled and nodded, the last of the tears falling down her cheeks. "Yeah."

He took her hand. "If we trust each other, we can tuck that way … not have to worry about it any longer, and we can think on other things."

She took a deep breath. "Sounds wonderful."

"I do love you."

Darcy closed her eyes, as if his words were a symphony. "I know. I love you, too."

"Come over here," he said, pulling her into his lap, as he brushed old tissues onto the floor.

"Erik wasn't kidding when he said you and Jane probably fell asleep among wine glasses and tissues. Why all the tears? Was that before you found your test to be negative?"

Darcy gave a short laugh. "No. I suppose maybe they were tears for all the 'maybes' in our lives."

"What do you mean?"

"Well … it started out being about my panic-attack, but then Jane and I started talking, and we just had one of our late-night talks. Turns out we both had some issues to sort out."

"What's wrong with Jane?"

"It's just like … Carrie Bradshaw, you know? Can a woman really have it all? I don't know if we can."

Loki narrowed his eyes at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

Darcy shrugged. Of course he wouldn't understand, he was a dude. "A life, a family, a career, fulfillment … that kind of thing."

"Your mother did it."

Darcy shrugged. "Yeah. I suppose she did."

"And so did mine."

"Yes, but they all had help."

"And so will you. I told you … I'm not going anywhere."

She looked at him skeptically, as if he was an alien. She was unused to this kind of talk from the males of her planet. "What are you?"

He gave her one of his mischievous little half-grins. "Desperately in love with you."

Darcy laughed and pushed at his shoulder. "Stop … sweet-talker. Would you be saying this if that test was positive?"

"Of course I would. I'd already be writing up bedtimes stories," he said, almost wistful.

She inclined her head. "Wait … are you … like, disappointed?"

Loki raised a brow, thinking on the question. "No," he said finally. "But I wouldn't have been disappointed if your test had been positive. Everything will happen in its own time. I've been living day by day for awhile now … but I think perhaps it's time to start looking a bit further ahead. And anything that happens … we'll figure it out together, alright? No more covert Erik missions, as it's unnecessary. Are we clear?"

Darcy nodded. "Okay. I won't freak out anymore, I promise … let's just … go with the flow."

"Very well. We'll go with the flow, then. Sounds very Banner-ish. Soon we'll be meditating together."

She smiled. "And yoga?"

"I draw the line at yoga."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

After the girls showered, and Thor came over (none-to-happy), the five of them conspired around the kitchen table all afternoon over the impending holiday party. They decided to take a break when Erik started putting together lunch from the contents of Darcy and Jane's fridge, making the house smell heavenly.

"Noh-Varr is straight, Erik," Darcy said. "He works at Axis for the tips."

"That's not what I heard," he said, setting down a plate of bacon-encased pancakes.

"It wouldn't be the first time a good-looking straight dude worked at a gay bar for more money."

"Well, that's not fair," he said, sitting down and digging into a tomato and cheese frittata.

Jane sipped at her coffee. "Yeah, well," she said. "A lot of straight girls would look at you and think life wasn't fair."

Erik rolled his eyes. "Straight women have plenty of good-looking men," he said, as he pointed to Thor and Loki. "Case closed."

"Touche," Darcy said, eating toast, as her stomach wasn't exactly at 100%. "But gay men tend to smell better. They do their laundry more often."

"My clothes are always clean," Thor said, taking offense.

"Please, you have a maid," Jane said, shutting him down.

Loki looked up from his phone. "So you actually _did_ have a covert purpose in carting me all around Chelsea last night? To make this person jealous?"

Erik shrugged. "I told you that's what I was doing … that whole other 'divert your attention from Darcy's pregnancy scare plan' was just a little side-hustle. You know, for the laughs."

"It was hilarious," Loki said, dripping with sarcasm.

Erik all of a sudden became very serious, which was very un-Erik. "I am sorry," he said, sincerely.

Loki nodded. "I understand."

Erik grinned. "Now we're all just one big family, eh? Loki and Thor Odinson, being brought into the threesome … it all sounds so delightfully wanton. One big family. Now all we need is Noh-Varr."

Darcy opened her mouth to retort, but the sound of the doorbell ringing made her forget what she was about to say. She got up and walked down the hall to see who it was.

She opened the door and froze. "Bucky?"

Bucky, of all people, was standing on the porch, obviously all kinds of nervous, but looking much healthier than the last time she saw him. His hair was still chin-length, a good look, Darcy had decided.

"Can I talk to you?" he asked, timidly. "It won't take long."

She stepped aside to let him in, but was hesitant, as she wasn't sure if it was a good idea. "Bucky, I don't know if you want to be here right now. Erik's here. You remember the last time you saw Erik?"

He looked down and sighed. "It's alright. I understand … but I need to say something."

"Okay," Darcy said, crossing her arms. "Say it."

He opened his mouth to speak, but was immediately silenced by a flash of someone grabbing him by the shoulders and slamming him against the wall. Loki cocked his head to the side and put a hand around Bucky's neck. "What are you doing here," he growled.

Darcy had never seen him like this. So angry and … violent. "Loki! Stop! What the hell?"

She meant to go and tear them apart, but Bucky reached up with his cybernetic arm and removed Loki's hand from his throat as easily as one would a child's. He then quickly backed away and held both of his hands up. "I didn't come here to fight."

Loki looked down at his hand in shock, flexing it. He then looked back up. "Leave!"

Erik then came running down the hall, followed by Thor and Jane. "Get out," Erik snarled, with an uncharacteristic menace in his voice.

Bucky, looking defeated, backed towards the door.

"Wait," Darcy yelled. "All of you guys can just stop, because Darcy is a big girl with her big girl panties on, and despite a recent hiccup, or more like deep muscle spasm … can handle shit on her own, alright people?

"Look," Bucky said, with his hands still up. "I just wanted to talk to her. That's all. If you all want to be present, it's fine by me."

"No," Darcy said. "You guys go back in the kitchen," she waved her hand at Thor, Jane, and Erik, the last of whom pointed at his eyes with two fingers and then pointed back at Bucky as if to say … _I have my eyes on you, motherfucker_.

Darcy walked into the living room with both Bucky and Loki following her. She sat down in a chair, but the other two remained standing up.

She raised her hands. "What's up you guys? Are you just going to stand there? Are you going to start talking?"

Bucky took a seat on the couch.

"I'll go back in the kitchen," Loki said softly. "I'm here if you need me."

Surprised that Loki took the whole thing so easily, seeing as just a few minutes ago it seemed like he wanted to rip Bucky's throat out, Darcy only frowned and nodded.

She took a deep breath. "Okay, you may speaketh now. What say you?"

"He's a good guy," Bucky said.

"He is," she agreed. "But that's not why you're here … to approve of my choice in men. What's going on?"

Bucky sighed. "Steve. Yesterday … he mumbled something about you being upset, and then he wouldn't speak to me for the rest of the night."

"What did he tell you?" She was shocked that Steve would actually say anything to Bucky, of all people, about what happened. But then again … _not_.

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head. "Nothing at all … but then that photo was on the internet, and I could tell you were obviously upset, I mean, anybody who would think differently is an idiot."

"Well … as you can see, I'm fine now. So … still not sure why you're here."

He looked down. "It's something that I needed to tell you awhile ago. I've just been … all sorts of fucked up in the head."

Darcy almost said that she could relate … but then kept her mouth shut. Being fucked in the head by a dude probably wasn't anything like being a prisoner of war.

_Or was it? Nah._

Bucky sat up, ready to say what he wanted, with conviction. "I would have come back."

"You would have come back," she repeated, with no inflection in her voice.

He nodded. "And of course, you would have told me to go fuck myself, which I would have deserved. But I would have come back … but then the miscarriage happened and your dad, and I tried, that day of the funeral … but, I did it all wrong, obviously. So I let it be … went off to war, and thought maybe things would be different when I got back."

"You thought wrong," Darcy said, though still emotionless. She'd cried about all she could over the past day or so, and she wasn't about to go there again.

"I know that … but listen, the reason I left in the first place … it wasn't you."

Darcy started to laugh. "Is this the world's biggest 'it's not you, it's me' speech? Because if it is, you can go march your metal-ass right out that door."

Bucky shook his head. "I just … I didn't want to go off to war, knowing that there was a good chance that I might not come back, knowing that I probably wouldn't be the same person … I didn't want to go over there with distractions. I thought it would make me a better soldier, if it was just me that I had to worry about. If I was just the soldier, not the boyfriend, not the father, if I was _just_ the soldier … I could make better decisions in a split second, in a war, and come back whole. And _then_ I could be all those things."

They sat in silence for a few seconds and Bucky nervously ran his hand through his hair. "But that was all just a bunch of bullshit. In the end, having connections to people is what brought me back. My family, you, Steve … it's what made me not give up. It's what made me keep going. Being in that kind of situation … when you start doubting what's real, when you actually have no idea what's real at all, to be able to have one little thing to hold onto. That can make all the difference in the world."

Darcy sat back, tears threatening, but a little bit more relaxed. Bucky had put her through a ton of shit, a whole world of hurt … but he'd had his own world of hurt, and it was on a completely different level. But she wanted to end it there … she didn't want to talk about it anymore, as she needed time to process everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. She felt like her heart and mind was on the verge of exploding.

"I just needed to tell you that," he said, with a sad little smile, and he did look like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

"Thanks," Darcy said, smiling slightly, feeling a bit awkward. "So are you going to a therapist or something?" she asked, trying to change the subject ... and wondering why Bucky was talking in such a way that he never had before.

He nodded. "Yeah. Same guy Steve goes to. Dr. Wilson, he's good."

She smiled. "Sounds like it." Darcy crossed her arms. "So Steve wouldn't speak to you, huh? You can go home now and tell him you made nice. When are the two of you going to get together anyway?"

Bucky laughed, the tension melting away somewhat. "Why do people keep asking us that? Can't I have a best friend?"

Darcy rolled her eyes. "People have been asking that since the 9th grade ... besides, it seems like he spends more time with you than he does Sharon. Actually, he spends more time with _all_ of us than he does Sharon."

"Hm." Bucky quickly looked over his shoulder as if someone would be back there listening. Satisfied, he leaned over. "Don't tell anyone," he whispered. "But he's been talking to Peggy again."

"WHAT?!" Darcy then clapped her hands over her mouth.

Bucky put a finger to his mouth. "Shhh."

"Sorry," she said quietly.

"Steve and Sharon have just grown apart … they're going through the motions at this point."

" _Damn_."

He nodded, his eyes wide, as if to say … _I know, right?_

Bucky then stood. "I'll be going … I don't want to overstay my welcome," he said, nodding towards the kitchen.

Darcy stood and walked him to the door. "Tell Steve you can make up now … I'm fine."

"Good to hear … and let me know if you ever need anything."

"Now you're even starting to talk like Steve."

As Bucky walked off the porch he looked back and grinned. "I'm trying the whole 'gentleman' thing on for size. See how it feels."

As soon as Darcy shut the door and turned towards the kitchen, she could hear feet shuffling back towards the table. By the time she got into the room, the four of them were trying very hard to look nonchalant, everyone looking in different directions.

"So how much of that did you guys hear?"

They were all silent for awhile, trying to find something to fidget with … Jane concentrating very hard on a crumb on the table. Erik finally looked up and smiled. "We heard everything except the Steve and Bucky part. What's going on with Steve and Bucky? Have they finally professed their love? I knew it!"

The other three were trying to hold in their laughter.

"Whatever. Get out of here, you guys. You have a party to plan."

After they'd left, Darcy wondered why Loki had taken the Bucky thing so well, considering he'd slammed him against a wall as soon as he'd walked in.

"Why were you so cool with us talking … you know, after your little skirmish."

Loki sat back and sighed. "At first, I wanted to thrash him, of course, for how he made you feel ... as if you couldn't trust anyone ever again." He then nodded to himself, perhaps remembering something. "But it was the look on his face, when everyone was ganging up against him. I know that look. He was defeated. A broken man, trying to piece things back together."

Darcy gave him a sad smile. "Thank you for trusting me."

He raised an eyebrow. "So what were you really whispering about? Are they really … lovers?"

She laughed. "No. Actually, that would probably be easier to explain to Sharon. There could be some very awkward holiday get-togethers in the Carter family in the future … not that they weren't already awkward enough."

"What do you mean?"

"Steve has always been in love with Sharon's aunt. Peggy. They had a fling a long time ago, but apparently something's still there."

"Aunt?"

"Yeah. She's … a little older than him."

"How much older?

"How old do you think my mom is?"

Loki's eyebrows raised. "Really. Does she look like your mom?"

Darcy nodded. "She's gorgeous."

"Well then … I can't fault him for that."

She gasped. "Are you saying my mom is hot?"

Loki grinned. "I'm saying that I am very much looking forward to seeing what the years do to her stunning daughter. If I am right, you'll be twice as beautiful, and I will be a very happy older man."

She shook her head. "Sweet-talker."

"Though I would like to remind you that I will look nothing like my father, as I am adopted. No, _Jane_ has that to look forward to."

Darcy giggled. "Poor Jane."

As they laughed about their future older-selves, Darcy peered at him, thinking of the things he implied by talking in such a way … and she actually believed the intention behind the words.

_Trust._

_Weird_.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Here is a much longer author's note on my Tumblr](http://anniemar.tumblr.com/post/118434117922/for-the-laughs-chapter-24-authors-notes-for-the) (I'm @anniemar over there as well), if you'd like to read about why I chose to not go the Taserbaby-route quite yet, plus a few other things.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a holiday party happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I realize how unforgivable it is, leaving this story for so long, and I promise that I have been working on it, fixed on a certain idea that just wasn't working. At all. So I scrapped it. A whole chapter with thousands of words that I was unreasonably attached to. But in the end, I am much more happy and satisfied with this new one. I had to go and omit a few things from the previous chapter, but I don't think it will make anything confusing.
> 
> A quick recap of what's been going on, since it's been so long: Darcy and Loki are together, happy. No more misunderstandings over the photo Sig had sold of Darcy and Thor to a gossip website. She's happily not pregnant and they are completely trusting one another at the moment. Erik had previously let on to Loki that Thor would propose at their impending holiday party. And Bucky gave a heartfelt apology and explanation to Darcy about his past mistakes.
> 
> This is the last leg of the story, and I've broken it up into a few more shorter chapters to make it a bit easier for me to update. 
> 
> And finally, I want to thank Leftylain (Leftennant), for talking me through my bullshit for like ... MONTHS. Thanks, man ;-) And to everyone who's left me kind and supportive comments, and messages on Tumblr. This is for y'all. Hope you enjoy this last bit.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

* * *

Darcy took awhile trying to figure out what to wear for Loki and Thor's father's annual holiday party. Apparently it was a relatively fancy affair, so she wanted to get it right. Now that the whole world knew that she was dating the youngest Odinson, the famous writer, she knew that everyone who attended would have preconceived notions about the crying girl hugging Thor for dear life on all the gossip websites. She wanted to come off as at least somewhat classy and confident to all of the university president's rich friends and colleagues.

As per usual, Darcy was holding a pre-party session with Jane, upstairs in her room, armed with a glass of wine. She had admitted defeat and was currently laying on the floor, among all the dresses she'd flung there … as they were just not right.

"All I have are boob dresses, I can't go to the party in a boob dress," she said, admitting defeat. "I've been too focused on finishing up the quarter. I didn't think to go shopping."

"But most of these are very classy boob dresses, Darcy," Jane said, rifling through what was left of her closet. She paused and took one from its hanger, located way in the back. "How bout this one?"

She sat up on her elbows to see the garment that Jane was waving in front of her.

Darcy squinted, having torn her glasses off in a huff, as they had been giving her a headache. "Dude, that's my Wednesday Addams dress. It's a holiday party, but I don't want to go looking like a fucking Thanksgiving pilgrim."

Jane shrugged. "But it's a classy Wednesday Addams dress. And you wouldn't look like a pilgrim, it's good and short ... and you can tart it up with fuck-me heels and make-up."

Darcy tilted her head. "Yeah, it's kind of begging for nice 60's eyeliner and hair. I just hate wearing clothes that go up to my neck. So confining. I mean, I don't want to show too much skin, but that's like, Victorian."

"Victorians didn't wear dresses this short, Darcy. Come on. Just wear sexy lingerie underneath … no one will see it, but you'll _feel_ dead sexy, so therefore you will _be_ dead sexy. As always."

She shook her head. "My Janey. So wise. Just … so wise."

Jane gave her a smile. "Don't be so nervous, Darcy. It's gonna be fun. What's the worst that could happen?"

First, she thought about Tony Stark's party at the beginning of the quarter, and all of the misunderstandings born from it began to flow through her head … then Clint's fucking farm party flashed in her mind.

"Don't say that Jane! I can almost hear the ominous music in the background. You're just conjuring trouble when you ask that kinda shit."

"Fine," Jane rolled her eyes. "We're about to have the most miserable night of our lives. Now get into your miserable Wednesday Addams dress before we're late. Erik is already gone."

Darcy beamed. "That's the spirit."

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

As they walked up the steps to the huge and elegant house, Darcy and Jane knew that Erik's influence was everywhere in the holiday decor. There was nothing overly ostentatious with just the right amount of sparkle and warm glow created from the perfectly crafted low-lighting and candles. Bannisters and shelves were lined with fresh evergreens and fairy lights, and instead of the customary red accompanying all the shades of dark green, he'd emphasized golden hues with ribbons and ornaments, and gorgeous white poinsettias accented with smaller and daintier pale flowers.

Jane squeezed Darcy's hand. "Oh, I love poinsettias, they're my favorite … even though they only come around for a few weeks every year. Reminds me of all the Christmas displays in New York."

She nodded in agreement. "Erik did a pretty damn good job, I have to hand it to him. There is no way Thor could have done this on his own, even with Loki's help."

The party was already in full-swing when they arrived, as per usual with the pair, and they met their dates in the entranceway, where the guys were still greeting their guests. Both Loki and Thor looked devastating in their tailored suits, and when they saw their ladies walk through the door, both seemed as if they'd been whacked over the head by their appearance, and couldn't help but plaster big goofy smiles on their faces. Any nervousness that Darcy had conjured over her choice in outfit for the night, disappeared by the way that Loki looked at her.

He quite formally held out his hand and she took it, feeling like a member of the nobility attending a ball for a second, before he pulled her in for an embrace. "You look stunning," he said in her ear, his lips brushing the skin of her temple. She had a vague thought of getting him alone for a few minutes, perhaps in a closet somewhere, before she looked over at Jane and Thor for a second. They seemed just as happy to be in each other's presence as she and Loki, but for some odd reason, she couldn't help but think that Thor looked nervous. His eyes were darting around the room, and he was adjusting his tie over and over again. Darcy wasn't sure that she'd ever seen him so fidgety.

She was broken out of her observation by Erik sprinting over to them. "Fucking finally," he huffed. "Don't tell me you were knee-deep in a bottle of wine and crying over all of your perfectly amazing dresses, before settling on …" Erik made it a point to look Darcy up and down … "something that would get you V.I.P. access to the Mayflower."

Darcy's face fell and Jane gave him a playful shove. "Don't. She was going for conservative. It's not pilgrim, it's sexy Wednesday Addams."

He grinned. "You both look gorgeous, of course. Come on Darcy, I think you'll like the spread I created for the evening … full of classic holiday bites that your people enjoyed during the first Thanksgiving, right before they plundered the natives of this land."

She rolled her eyes. He wasn't going to let it go for the rest of the night, or perhaps their entire lives … so she decided to just go with it. "Fine. But if there's not pumpkin pie of some kind, then my people are going to plunder _you_."

The two couples followed Erik into the grand parlor, where tables of food and a bar was set up. "What is your obsession with pumpkins?" he asked.

"Dude. Pumpkin-spiced lattes are the new reason for the season … totally replaced "goodwill towards men", menorahs, and Christmas trees."

"I am disappointed in your choice of suburban mom trends, what's next, soccer practice with the kids?"

Jane gave a mock gasp. "He just called it 'soccer'! Your European-card is gonna get revoked, calling football 'soccer'."

Erik turned around and faced them, a look of horror on his face, and Darcy couldn't tell if it was real or put-on. "A minor slip. Never tell anyone! Promise?"

She grinned. "No more pilgrim jokes?"

He looked conflicted for a moment. "Done." His look of shame turned into one of amusement. "But I did sort of make you pumpkin pie, I know it's a favorite for you both."

Jane and Darcy took in the elaborate offering of dishes, painstakingly made into elegant bites of food. They went straight to the end of the table where the desserts were, and found perfectly round and tiny pumpkin cheesecakes sitting on top of shortbread crusts. They looked like a work of art. "They look amazing," Darcy said, then she looked at the little spheres adorning their tops. "But what's with the caviar as a garnish?"

Erik shook his head. "Really Darcy? Those are maple pearls."

She smiled. "Of course. How could I expect you to not work your molecular gastronomy science in at least somewhere."

Jane was busy taking a plate and piling it with various treats. "Oh my god, Erik," she said. "It's like you prepared all of my favorite food and made it fancy … are those like, cute little ice cream bombes?"

"Peanut butter and chocolate," Erik said.

"Holy shit," Darcy and Jane both said, in unison.

"I can't take all the credit, Thor helped," he said, grinning.

They both turned around to see the usually confident football player nervously adjusting his tie again. "Um … well, yes …" Thor managed to say.

Loki seemed to notice and came to his brother's aid, changing the subject. "Come," he said. "We'll have time to eat later, people have been asking for you."

Darcy peered at him, curious. Something was going on, she could sense it, but she was momentarily distracted by Steve and Bucky joining them. Though before properly greeting them, she gave Loki a raised eyebrow that said, " _I'm onto you_."

He only gave her one of his classic wicked smiles in return.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Darcy took the time to greet all of her friends, old and new, while Jane popped mini peanut butter and chocolate ice cream bombes into her mouth. Nearly everyone was there, Dr. Odinson of course, and a various array of rather stuffy-looking university big-wigs, as well as other important-looking people that she really couldn't care less about. Eventually, the party-attendees she was most comfortable around were all hanging out in the same room together. Natasha and Clint were laughing to each other, near the grand piano, where a hired musician was playing mellow wintery tunes … and Bruce, Tony, and Pepper were involved in their own conversation with glasses of champagne in their hands. On the other side of the room, Thor had seemed to calm down a little, in the presence of a few of his football buddies that he'd invited to town … three Vikings players, who had flown in at his request for the night. Jane had beamed as he'd introduced her to his best friends from his team. Darcy had marveled at the size of Volstagg, the offensive-tackle, who had shaken her hand with what she could only describe as glee.

She was rather taken aback, though, as she was casually introduced to a stunning woman named Sif, who as it turned out, made sure to attend all of the Odinson's holiday parties, and had done so since meeting them in high school. After being introduced to Jane, Darcy observed that the beautiful ex-college football kicker, and current badass female commentator for ESPN, looked a bit sad … though keeping up a brave face, smiling as if she were on camera.

Darcy turned to her boyfriend, who had been talking to one of Thor's football friends, some blonde dude named Fandral. Loki's arm came around her waist, his hand on her hip, dipping perilously low, almost on her ass. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to push back the desire he created in his touches. It was in the way he did it, a silent tease, and yet he was completely comfortable with it, as if he'd been touching her for years. It was also a bit possessive, as he always seemed to holding her in some way … holding her hand, or putting his on the small of her back, like some old-world gentleman, telling the room that she was his. She couldn't say that it bothered her in the least, as it was actually quite comforting, in a way. It felt like he was happy and proud to say to everyone in the room, "this is my girl, my lady … to tease with my fingers brushing the top of her ass."

She switched her glass of champagne into her other hand and laced her fingers through his, removing them from her hip. "Easy now," she said. "There are people here. Your dad is just in the other room … let's keep this at least PG for now? At least until later?"

He looked down at her and smirked. "PG? Is that what you're trying to achieve with that dress? Because I must tell you, it's only making me wonder what's underneath of it even more than usual," he said, in his deliciously accented baritone. It nearly left her breathless. He took his other hand and lightly brushed his fingertips at the hem, about mid-thigh. Loki bent down and spoke low in her ear. "What do you have on here?" He strategically shielded her body from the rest of the room with his, and nearly touched the garters she had holding up her stockings.

She took a small jump back, nearly splashing her champagne everywhere. "Will you quit it?"

He only gave her a low laugh, his eyes dancing, a glittery green, picking up the emerald color of his tie. He looked absolutely gorgeous, with perfect suit, and his stupid perfect face, and hair tied back in another stupidly perfect man-bun.

_Fucking hell. Why are man-buns so hot?_

Darcy looked around the room, trying to steady herself, but she only noticed that both Thor and Bucky were wearing man-buns as well. It was too much.

"You're all trying to kill me," she said, rolling her eyes.

Loki grinned. "I'm sorry?"

She looked him in the eye. "Stop trying to seduce me in front of all these people, alright? I'm trying to look like a respectable girlfriend."

His face softened into one of sincerity. "Darling, you don't even need to try. You simply already are a respectable girlfriend."

"Fine. Then be the respectful boyfriend."

He shrugged. "I'll try," he said, moving to put his arm back around her. "But I can't make any promises. At some point, I will find out what's underneath this lovely dress."

Darcy raised an eyebrow. "If you answer a question, I'll give you a hint."

He gave her a dark stare. "Go on."

"So Sif," she said, nodding to the dark-haired beauty who was talking to Thor's football friends. "You know, your first love and all that."

Loki looked up towards the ceiling. "She was not my first love."

She gave him a smirk. "Fine. First unrequited love, whatever. Does Jane know about her? How she was ... or still _is,_ in love with Thor?"

He sneaked a glance at Sif. "I think not. Thor has always been a bit obtuse in her case. I certainly don't see how. She's always made her affections towards him quite obvious." Loki looked down at her with concern. "Her presence here isn't upsetting, is it? I've had absolutely zero interest in her for years and years now."

Darcy shook her head. "No, of course not. It's just, she seems really nice, and also kinda sad. I feel a little bad for her."

Loki nodded. "She is nice, when she wants to be. But she can also be intensely fierce, if you get on her bad side. Freshmen year, she gave her boyfriend a broken nose for kissing another girl at a frat party. And I doubt she's changed since then."

"Hm." Darcy began to think, the wheels in her mind starting to turn. "I think I want to introduce her to someone. Maybe cheer her up a little."

"Oh, dear gods, I don't want to know," Loki said. "But what I _do_ want to know …" his voice trailed off as the evil glint in his eyes returned.

Darcy sighed. "Fine. Whatever it is that I have under my dress … it's black." He raised an eyebrow and gave her a look that said he was unsatisfied with her answer. "And some of it might be made with lace," she added.

He perked up at that.

She gave him her sweetest smile before walking towards her new mission.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

She'd been talking to Steve and Bucky for awhile before Loki figured out what she was up to. He shook his head, but made his way over to Sif, apparently deciding to help her out.

Darcy took a sip of her bubbly, her attention divided between the two guys in front of her, and Loki sparking up a conversation with his old friend. "So are you guys going back to Brooklyn for Christmas?"

Steve nodded, though he looked uncertain. "Probably. For a bit anyway."

"I'm gonna stay at my sister's for a few days," Bucky said.

"Cool," she said. "We should get a few beers together on Christmas night. Me and Jane will be there too."

Darcy didn't miss the smile on Bucky's face. She knew it wasn't about wanting to get back together with her any longer, but just about being part of a group again. Included. Ever since their conversation a few weeks earlier, she was able to tolerate his presence a lot more, and the mention of his name didn't automatically cause her brain to go in murder-mode.

It was those thoughts of Bucky that distracted her enough to make a bit of a faux-pas. She decided to ask Steve something simple, something she was pretty used to asking. "So where's …" She caught Bucky looking at her with big eyes. He gave a slight shake of his head, telling her not to finish her sentence.

"Err … so where's ... your, um … glasses?"

Steve laughed and looked down. "You were going to ask where Sharon was?"

She feigned innocence. "What? No! I just noticed that you've still got the beard … but the hot horn-rims are curiously absent."

He grinned at her. "You know I only wear those when I draw."

Darcy sighed. "Fine. Sorry. I was gonna ask where Sharon was."

"We broke up."

She grimaced, internally cursing her big mouth. "I'm sorry, Steve."

"Don't be. It was amicable. It's just now I have to suffer Bucky as my date."

Darcy laughed. "You're know you're only adding to the mystery of 'will they, or won't they'."

Both of them chuckled. "Tell me something," Steve said. "You and Jane have been best friends for as long as we have, you live together, go to parties together … do people ever think you're dating?"

She thought about it for a second. "It's different with girls. I guess it shouldn't be different, but it is. But having said that, yes, we've definitely gotten it a few times."

"Does it bother you?" Steve asked.

"Nope," she said, without hesitation. "Not at all."

He shrugged. "Doesn't bother me either, especially now that I have him back after being M.I.A."

Darcy couldn't help but to smile from ear to ear. "Dang, bro. You're killin' me with the feels over here," she said, before taking a sip of her drink.

Bucky shook his head, obviously touched, but also a bit embarrassed. "Steve, I wish I knew how to quit you."

She nearly choked on her champagne as she started giggling, which made them laugh right along with her.

Loki then picked the perfect time to walk up, with Sif next to him. "Sif, I want to introduce you to two of our resident heros," he said to her. "They seem to be choking for some reason right now, but as soon as they recover, I'm sure they will impress you with their gentlemanly manners."

They both sobered up as they saw Thor and Loki's gorgeous friend in an equally gorgeous red dress. Darcy couldn't help but plaster a mischievous grin on her face.

Steve visibly straightened and held out his hand. "Steve Rogers, pleased to meet you."

"Sif, and it's a pleasure," she said, placing her fingers in his. All of the previous subtle sadness gone from her face. Darcy's grin spread even wider.

Bucky then cleared his throat, and Sif turned to him. "James Barnes," he said, with his old ladykiller smile.

_My work here is done_ , Darcy thought.

* * *

**~~*...*~~**

Darcy was having fun standing in a corner with her champagne, watching Jane across the room, talking to Bruce with a faraway fangirl look in her eye, while Thor stood next to them, slightly frowning. She then turned her head to find Sif laughing, completely comfortable and relaxed, while chatting with Steve and Bucky.

Loki walked up, taking her nearly empty glass and replacing it with one that was full. "I believe there will be a toast soon, you'll want a new one."

She smiled up at him with an incredibly peaceful feeling deep in her chest. Everything seemed to be perfect for a moment and she wanted to savor it. "Thank you," she said, to the handsome man she was helplessly in love with.

He gave her a knowing smirk. "Which one were you trying to set her up with?" he asked, nodding towards Sif.

Darcy shrugged. "Well, I knew Steve and Sharon were in their death throes … even though he can be obtuse, like Thor. But if he likes her, he'll definitely do something about it. And then with Bucky … I mean, if he ever did anything Bucky-ish to her, she'd beat his ass. So either of them. Either is good."

She inclined her head, watching them. "Or both. Both is good."

Loki frowned. "Both?"

A slow grin came upon her face. "If you believe the rumors, they've been known to … at times … you know."

He started to work out what she was hinting at in his head, and then suddenly looked very alarmed. "Have you?" he asked, with something that looked like fear on his face.

She laughed. "Have I ever been in the middle of a Steve and Bucky man-sandwich?"

He blinked rapidly, unable to come up with a response.

She wondered what that would do to a guy's confidence, knowing that his girlfriend had been a part of a threesome with two gorgeous and perfect male specimens.

Darcy shook her head, taking pity on him. "Hell no, I was always afraid of being the one in the threesome who was inevitably left out."

Loki raised his eyebrows. "Are you being serious?"

"Huh? No … I mean, yes. Sorta."

"Darcy."

She held up her hands, giggling. "I swear to you, Loki. I have never been in a threesome with Steve and Bucky. Or anyone for that matter."

"Hn." He still regarded her with suspicion.

Darcy put her arm around him, pulling him down, so she could whisper in his ear. "Besides, you're the only man who's made me come so hard that I completely forget who I am or where I'm at, or even what planet I'm from."

He cleared his throat and suddenly grabbed her hand, starting to lead her out of the room. "I believe we might have some time before the toasting starts … have I ever showed you my bedroom in my family home?"

She hastily set her drink down on a table, nearly knocking it down, as he dragged her along. "You know, I don't think you have," she said, steadily anticipating the moment they could get their hands all over each other.

"How unforgivably rude of me. I'll have to remedy ..."

Loki abruptly stopped and she nearly crashed into him. "Remedy what?"

Darcy then noticed that his whole body had become tense as his gaze was fixed on something that alarmed him … or some _one_.

She turned to see who he was looking at.

Her stomach jumped into her throat, as she saw a guy that Darcy recognized as one of Jane's fellow-residents, standing next to the bar and requesting a drink … with Sig on his arm.

"What is she doing here," Loki growled, low so that only Darcy could hear him.

Sig then turned, as if she instinctively knew that she'd been spotted, and slowly smiled.

"I knew things were going a little too well," Darcy said under her breath.

**~~::::::...::::::~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've learned not to make promises anymore regarding chapter updates with this story, but I assure you, dear loyal readers who have not abandoned me, the muse has returned. It is strong with this one. Again. FINALLY.


End file.
